ROCHESTER, Minn. — Colorectal cancer is the second-most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Despite the availability of several effective screening tests, colorectal cancer screening rates remain below national goals. "Nearly one-third of eligible adults in the U.S. are not up to date on colorectal cancer screening, and even lower rates have been observed among populations that are traditionally underserved," says Lila Rutten, Ph.D., a health services researcher at Mayo Clinic and the study’s lead author.

Research has shown that the recommendations of primary care clinicians and gastroenterologists strongly influence whether patients are screened and what type of screening they choose – direct visualization, such as colonoscopy, or noninvasive options, such as stool-based screening. To better understand health care providers’ preferences and practices with regard to colorectal cancer screening, the researchers developed a survey that was administered online in late 2019 and completed by 779 primary care clinicians and 159 gastroenterologists.

According to the survey, colonoscopy was the most frequently preferred option for average-risk patients, favored by 96.9% of gastroenterologists and 75.7% of primary care clinicians. “Interestingly, we found that nearly 1 in 4 primary care clinicians in our study selected a stool-based test as their preferred screening option, with multitarget stool DNA selected more frequently than either fecal immunochemical test or guaiac-based fecal occult blood test,” says Rutten.

While colonoscopy is the most often recommended screening method, a new Mayo Clinic study finds that preferences of primary care clinicians shifted toward noninvasive options in general and particularly for patients who were unwilling to undergo invasive procedures; concerned about taking time from work; unconvinced about the need for screening; or refused other screening recommendations. The research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests that although health care providers prefer colonoscopy for screening, they recognize the need to tailor recommendations to the needs and preferences of patients.

"With the availability of multiple screening options with distinct benefits and drawbacks related to effectiveness, access, cost, risk and patient acceptability, it is critical to encourage informed choice and shared decision-making between patients and their health care providers," says Rutten.

"These findings suggest that primary care clinicians recognize the need to tailor their colorectal cancer screening recommendations to the preferences of their patients, especially with the emergence of new, less invasive options," says Paul Limburg, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic and the study’s senior author.

The study notes that previous research has demonstrated that the common practice of recommending colonoscopy only may reduce the number of patients who undergo screening, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, and that offering noninvasive screening options is associated with greater adherence to testing. "The availability of multiple screening options with differing test attributes and patient acceptability highlights the need for health care providers to share accurate information about all available options to support informed choice and shared decision-making, so that more patients initiate and follow through with their preferred CRC screening strategy," Dr. Limburg says.

The study was funded in part by Exact Sciences, based in Madison, Wisconsin, and by the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. The funding agreement ensured author independence in developing the survey, interpreting and analyzing the data, and producing the article. Dr. Limburg is chief medical officer for screening at Exact Sciences through a contracted services agreement with Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Limburg and Mayo Clinic have contractual rights to receive royalties through this agreement. Four co-authors also have potential competing interests with Exact Sciences. Rutten serves as a scientific advisor to Exact Sciences through a contracted services agreement with Mayo Clinic.  All other authors report no potential competing interests.

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About Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that publishes original articles and reviews on clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research, and clinical epidemiology. The journal, sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to physician education, has been published for 95 years and has a circulation of 127,000.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

Media contact:

• Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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Almost half of all people in the U.S. are at risk of developing some form of cancer in their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. For women, it's often breast cancer. For men, it's prostate cancer. For both populations lung cancer and colorectal cancer are common.

Dr. Paul Limburg, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and cancer researcher with the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, says you can lower your risk of cancer by knowing your personal and family medical histories, as well as developing a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise.

He also says researchers are studying healthy people to see whether medications or supplements could help modify cancer risk.

"It's called chemo prevention," says Dr. Limburg. "It goes back to the biologic development of cancers, precancers. For example, inflammation seems to be an important contributor to the development of cancer, so could anti-inflammation medications help reduce cancer risk?"

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Limburg talks more about cancer research at Mayo, including new technologies and the possibility of a single blood test to screen for multiple cancers.

Learn more about Mayo Clinic Cancer Center - Research and Clinical Trials.

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Watch: Dr. Limburg discusses cancer prevention, detection and research.

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For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Advancing research, challenging cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

For those of us in the Midwest, it's common to want to wish away March and get on with spring. But doing so would mean the end of March Madness. National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month would also be, ahem, behind us, and that's too important to miss. That's why this year Mayo Clinic launched a month-long social media campaign to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and let you (yes, you) know how important regular screenings and early detection are to saving lives.

But don't take our word for it. Just ask Greg Krueger, the 46-year-old husband and father from Jacksonville, who Florida's First Coast News reports has become part of the "alarming rise in colorectal cancers among younger patients." That includes those in their 20s, 30s and 40s who aren't yet to the age of generally recommended screenings and who don't have a family history of the disease.

In Greg's case, First Coast News reports that his diagnosis came after a visit to Mayo Clinic's Florida campus in October 2017. And while his diagnosis was unexpected and unnerving, he says the emotional blow was softened by his care team. "One of the most comforting things said was by the surgeon I met the first day," Greg tells the paper. "He said, 'You're not going to die from this.'"

That comforting declaration was made, First Coast News reports, because Greg's cancer was found early and because of advancements in treatment. "That's where the individualized medicine and specialized medicine offers that hope and promise," Pashtoon Kasi, M.D., M.B.B.S., a hematologist/oncologist at Mayo Clinic, tells the paper.

For Greg, that meant starting chemotherapy immediately following his diagnosis, the paper reports. And though he has "months of treatment left until the last cell of cancer is gone," Greg tells the paper he "considers himself fortunate" that his cancer was found early, and that he has his family and his care team at Mayo Clinic on his side. "It's something you fight for, it's something you don't give up, it's something you keep looking for — that hope," he says.

To give others that same hope, physicians from Mayo Clinic's campuses in Florida, Arizona and Minnesota are participating in a series of short videos designed to offer information related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. A new video is being released every day throughout March, and all of the videos can be found on Mayo Clinic Connect, as well as Mayo's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

While each video covers a different topic, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Paul Limburg, M.D., says the goal for each video is the same. "We know that colorectal cancer is a preventable disease, and early detection is critical for saving lives," he says. "We hope to reach all of Mayo Clinic's social media followers and encourage them to share this important information about colorectal cancer within their own networks and hopefully beyond."

You can start by sharing your comments below. Then, use the handy social media tools atop this page to share this story with others.
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This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.

The post In the Loop: Case in point for colorectal cancer awareness campaign appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — To kick off March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Mayo Clinic today announced the launch of a social media campaign to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, and the importance of screening and early detection to save lives.

Through the Colorectal Cancer Expert Q&A campaign, Mayo Clinic physicians from Arizona, Florida and Minnesota will be featured in a series of short, typically 30-second, videos. A new video will be released daily in March.

Videos will include information on a range of topics related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer, and will be distributed on Mayo Clinic’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. For those who want to explore further, all the videos will be on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community where patients and families share experiences, find support and exchange information with people like themselves.

“We know that colorectal cancer is a preventable disease, and early detection is critical for saving lives,” says, Paul Limburg, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic. “We have been proud to collaborate with Fight Colorectal Cancer and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable for the last five years to work toward our shared goal of getting 80 percent of eligible U.S. adults screened. Through this new campaign, we hope to reach all of Mayo Clinic’s social media followers and encourage them to share this important information about colorectal cancer within their own networks and hopefully beyond.”

“We’re excited to use the power of social media to help catalyze more frequent, informed conversations about colorectal cancer with people everywhere,” says Lee Aase, director of social media at Mayo Clinic. Aase says Mayo Clinic also will livestream a Blue Carpet event in Los Angeles on Facebook. This event will feature celebrities and medical experts as they arrive for an educational program on colorectal cancer on March 8 from 1 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. PST.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

 Media contact:

• Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic social media campaign highlights colorectal cancer awareness, prevention appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Paul Limburg, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, and Teresa McJoynt, a Mayo Clinic representative with the consortium, will discuss nutrition during cancer treatment. Also on the program, Dr. Peter Grahn, a Mayo Clinic neurobiology researcher, will share how a devastating injury inspired a career. And Dr. Benjamin Brown, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, will explain the latest in stroke treatment interventions.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Cancer Nutrition Consortium: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Common side effects of cancer treatment can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weight loss. These side effects make getting proper nutrition a challenge. To improve the lives of cancer patients, leading cancer centers in the U.S., including Mayo Clinic, have formed the nonprofit Cancer Nutrition Consortium. Through research and collaboration with health, industry and culinary experts, the Cancer Nutrition Consortium offers recipes and resources for those undergoing cancer treatment.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Paul Limburg, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, and Teresa McJoynt, a Mayo Clinic representative with the consortium, will discuss nutrition during cancer treatment. Also on the program, Dr. Peter Grahn, a Mayo Clinic neurobiology researcher, will share how a devastating injury inspired a career. And Dr. Benjamin Brown, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, will explain the latest in stroke treatment interventions.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow us on Twitter using #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Cancer Nutrition Consortium appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Paul Limburg, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, and Teresa McJoynt, a Mayo Clinic representative with the consortium, will discuss nutrition during cancer treatment. Also on the program, Dr. Peter Grahn, a Mayo Clinic neurobiology researcher, will share how a devastating injury inspired a career. And Dr. Benjamin Brown, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, will explain the latest in stroke treatment interventions.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show? Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Cancer nutrition / spinal cord injury story / stroke interventions appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined, but the disease can often be prevented or detected early through screening," says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Paul Limburg, M.D., who will participate in the live broadcast. Dr. Limburg encourages people to discuss colorectal cancer screening with their physicians. He says that, in addition to colonoscopy, there are noninvasive screening options such as Cologuard, a stool DNA test that patients can do at home and mail in for analysis. Cologuard was co-developed by Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences.

Dr. Limburg will interview celebrity participants on the “Blue Carpet” from 1 to 1:30 p.m. EST in a live broadcast on Mayo Clinic’s Facebook page. The formal program, which begins at 2 p.m. EST, will be streamed from the Countdown to 2018 site and on the Fight Colorectal Cancer Facebook page.

The live broadcast also will highlight the organizers' shared goal that 80 percent of eligible adults 50 years or older get screened annually for colorectal cancer by 2018.

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable launched the 80% by 2018 campaign in 2014, and, today, more than 1,300 organizations across the country have pledged to support this public health goal.

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About Fight Colorectal Cancer
Fight Colorectal Cancer is a national nonprofit advocacy organization fighting for a cure. It was founded in 2005 by Nancy Roach, a nationally recognized patient advocate who witnessed the need for colorectal cancer advocacy after her mother-in-law’s diagnosis. The organization plays an important role in rallying colorectal cancer advocates to action. Fight Colorectal Cancer is known for activism and patient empowerment throughout patient, academic, political, scientific, medical and nonprofit communities. With a mission focused on advocacy, research, patient education and awareness, the organization serves advocates in every state of the U.S. and many countries around the world. To learn more, visit fightcrc.org.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grass-roots force of 2 million volunteers saving lives in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the society's efforts have contributed to a 23 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991 and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. The society is finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call the society anytime at 1-800-227-2345 (toll-free), or visit cancer.org.

About the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable was established by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1997. The roundtable is a national coalition of public, private and voluntary organizations whose mission is to advance colorectal cancer control efforts by improving communication, coordination and collaboration among health agencies, medical-professional organizations and the public. The ultimate goal of the roundtable is to increase the use of proven colorectal cancer screening tests among the entire population for whom screening is appropriate. Visit nccrt.org for more information.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.

MEDIA CONTACT
Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic to participate in live celebrity broadcast to promote need to increase colorectal cancer screening rates appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Are You Due for Your Screening?  Don't Put it Off! 

Every person over the age of 50 is strongly advised to get a colonoscopy. It’s one of the best ways to detect colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the United States. In 2016, 135,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researcher and gastroenterologist, Paul J. Limburg, M.D., says research shows you can cut your risk by not smoking, exercising, losing excess weight, and eating a diet high in fruits, vegetable and whole grains.

Dr. Limburg says, even though colorectal cancer is the the second leading cause of cancer death, colonoscopy and other screening methods make it one of the most preventable cancers. Here’s Dennis Douda for the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch the Mayo Clinic Minute.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is available in the downloads. (1:04) Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Inside a Colonoscopy appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic will live-stream a colonoscopy on the mobile app Periscope on Tuesday, March 1, at 8:30 a.m. EST. The broadcast is part of Mayo Clinic’s ongoing collaboration with Fight Colorectal Cancer to raise awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screening. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Mayo Clinic’s first LIVE procedure broadcast #ScopeScope

“We’ve worked with Fight Colorectal Cancer on its One Million Strong campaign for the last three years to highlight the importance of appropriate screening,” says Lee Aase, director of the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network. “Our previous promotions included live patient events, a music video and a social media campaign. As we discussed plans for our 2016 promotion, I received a reminder for my colonoscopy, so we decided to take this opportunity to demystify the process by live-streaming the procedure on Periscope.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs,
507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The procedure, which will be broadcast on Mayo Clinic’s Periscope channel using the #ScopeScope hash tag, will be supplemented by additional commentary and interaction on Mayo Clinic’s Twitter account. Aase also will document the process leading up to his colonoscopy from his personal Twitter and Periscope accounts.

“About 50,000 Americans die from colorectal cancer each year, even though it is among the most treatable cancers when caught early,” says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Paul Limburg, M.D., Dr. Limburg encourages people to discuss colorectal cancer screening with their physicians. Dr. Limburg says that, in addition to colonoscopy, there are noninvasive screening options such as Cologuard a stool DNA test that patients can do at home and mail in for analysis. Cologuard was co-developed by Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences. “The bottom line is the best screening test is the one that gets done,” says Dr. Limburg.

Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Limburg are available in the downloads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJO6jFPIbRw
 

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 1-855-776-0015 (toll-free).

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to medical research and education, and providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.  

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