Abstract
PurposeColorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates in New Mexico (NM) continue to be higher than national rates. Hispanic CRC mortality rates in NM surpass those of overall Hispanics in the US. This study was designed to characterize and understand factors contributing to low CRC screening rates in this border region.MethodsA CRC Knowledge Assessment Survey (KAS) was administered in either English or Spanish to 247 individuals attending community events throughout southern NM. A subset of these individuals completed an online CRC risk assessment survey managed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Data analysis tested for significant differences in knowledge, physician-patient CRC interactions, CRC risk level perception, and screening rates across diverse ethnic and age groups.ResultsBoth CRC knowledge and physician-patient CRC interactions were positively associated with participant screening history. Significant age and ethnic differences for CRC knowledge, physician-patient CRC interactions, and screening history in the NM border sample were also seen. Age-eligible Hispanics (50+) as well as those less than 50 years of age had lower CRC knowledge and were less likely to engage in physician-patient CRC interactions than non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). The age-eligible Hispanics also reported lower CRC screening rates than their NHW counterparts.ConclusionsLow CRC knowledge and limited physician-patient CRC interactions appear to contribute to low screening rates in this NM population. Expanding education and outreach efforts for this border population are essential to promote early CRC detection and thereby decrease overall CRC mortality rates.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of death by cancer in the United States (US) with an estimated 143,000 new cases and 52,000 deaths from CRC in 2012 [1]
This study expands on existing knowledge regarding CRC, as it relates to the unique New Mexico (NM) border population, a population not targeted in previous research
This is relevant for the Hispanic border population, which demonstrated significantly lower CRC knowledge levels when compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) residing in this same region
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of death by cancer in the United States (US) with an estimated 143,000 new cases and 52,000 deaths from CRC in 2012 [1]. Recent decades have witnessed a great progress against CRC with overall US CRC mortality rates dropping from 23.7 per 100,000 in 1990 to 17.6 per 100,000 in 2007—a decrease of 25.7% [2,3]. Decreases in mortality rates have not been observed across all 50 US states. Mortality rates in New Mexico (NM) decreased only 12% over this same time [2]. New Mexico shows a unique pattern of incidence and mortality rates. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimated that
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