CDC: Cancer screening lags goals

Screening for three common forms of cancer lags national goals set for the U.S. to reach by 2020, according to a report issued April 11 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Colorectal cancer screening was the only bright spot in the report, while cervical cancer screening decreased and mammography screening remained static. The report measures the nation's progress in meeting goals set by the Healthy People 2020 initiative.

Researchers from the CDC and the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) reviewed screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers between 2000 and 2015. They found the following:

• The colorectal cancer screening rate grew from 34% in 2000 to 62% in 2015 for adults ages 50 to 75 years. The national goal is 71%.
• Mammography screening was unchanged, at 72% in both 2000 and 2015, for women ages 50 to 74. The national goal is 81%.
• The Pap screening rate was 83% in 2015; this figure represents a slight decline compared to 2012, but the authors noted that screening guidelines were expanded in 2012, making a direct comparison difficult. The national goal is 93%.