ALEXANDRIA, Va. (KXAN) — The first annual Early Detection Survey from the Prevent Cancer Foundation found Americans are better setting up appointments for routine car maintenance than routine cancer screenings.
“65% of Americans aged 21 and older are not up to date with at least one of their routine cancer screenings,” said Jody Hoyos with the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “That’s an important issue because routine screenings really give us the chance to have a cancer either prevented or detected in the earliest stages when treatment is much more likely to be effective.”
The survey found the pandemic is no longer the primary reason to blame for missed appointments.
“We heard most often, people simply didn’t know they needed to be screened. Many others also reported that they didn’t think they needed to be screened because they weren’t experiencing signs or symptoms,” said Hoyos. “We want people to go and get their appointments before experiencing signs or symptoms.”
The survey also found the following:
Nearly one half of people surveyed were more vigilant about their health as a result of the pandemic. A third (33%) of Americans say that potential exposure to COVID-19 continues to have a negative impact on whether they go to their routine medical appointments.
A higher percentage of Hispanic and Black Americans say they are not caught up on routine screenings than white Americans.
61% of white respondents who are eligible for colorectal cancer screening report being up to date; however, 54% of eligible Black participants and just 46% of eligible Hispanic participants say they are up to date on their colorectal cancer screening.
63% of white participants eligible for breast cancer screening say they are up to date, but only 46% of Hispanic participants eligible for breast cancer screening say they are up to date.
40% of white participants say they are up to date on their skin cancer screening, but 34% of Hispanic participants and only 30% of Black participants say they are up to date on their skin cancer screening.
Hoyos said The Prevent Cancer Foundation is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection.
It also offers an interactive tool to find out when you should set up a cancer screening here: https://quiz.typeform.com/to/rsr0TMVj?typeform-source=www.preventcancer.org
“We can provide really easy to use information about the screenings you need every age, how to talk to your loved ones, about family history of cancer, and the ability to book appointments, right from our website.”