Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. for men and women combined, according to the American Cancer Society, and a lack of screening can exacerbate the problem.
Screenings can detect cancer and precancerous lesions in its early stages when it's at its most treatable, according to a Feb. 16 news release. The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer when caught early is 90 percent, but that number drops to 14 percent when diagnosed at stage 4.
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare saw a nearly 50 percent decrease in colorectal screenings across its healthcare system from 2019-20.
"Delays in screening could mean that the missed cancers might be larger and more advanced," Holly Clark, MD, gastroenterologist at Intermountain Heber Valley and Park City Hospitals, said. "Cancers, in general, are easier to treat in their early stages and early detection could mean a difference between life and death."