Poor go through with colon screening less often

Jun 29, 2008

Despite the best intentions, many people don't follow through with screening exams even though they understand their value. The phenomenon can be more pronounced among those who are poor or in poor health, according to the results of a study by U.K. researchers.

A group from the Health Behaviour Research Centre at University College London studied 2,969 Scottish adults ages 55 to 64 who were invited to receive screenings for colorectal cancer. Of those who said they intended to get a screening exam, only 61% actually made it to the appointment, according to the study, which was published in the latest issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Lead author Emily Power and colleagues found that among the no-shows, those with the highest rates of nonattendance were of lower socioeconomic status and had poorer overall health and thus a higher percentage of doctor visits. The authors speculated that the latter factor may have interfered with their ability to attend the cancer screening.

The one factor that seemed to affect whether a person of average risk followed through with a colorectal cancer screening was whether they received a recommendation from a healthcare provider, the authors said.

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American Cancer Society recognizes virtual colonoscopy screening benefit, March 5, 2008