Reigniting Colorectal Cancer Screening as Communities Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This presentation will summarize current guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and an expert consensus document designed to assist primary care providers and health systems with the resumption of screening for CRC during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tool, an action-oriented playbook, aims to align clinicians (particularly primary care providers and endoscopists), health systems, public health professionals and CRC screening advocates across the nation to work together to reignite our screening efforts appropriately, safely, and equally for all communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified pre-existing inequities in CRC screening and outcomes, hindering the progress toward the national goal of an 80% CRC screening rate in every community. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic leading agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the American Cancer Society, made recommendations to delay all non-urgent procedures. Colonoscopies have been delayed or cancelled and patient fears about contracting COVID-19 have led to further reductions in screening. This drop has raised concern that COVID-19 related screening delays will lead to missed and advanced stage CRC diagnoses and to excess deaths. Moreover, this burden will likely not be evenly distributed as screening disparities may be exacerbated in communities and populations that are disadvantaged by both old and new challenges in the COVID-19 era. This presentation offers data, research, and clinical guidelines related to CRC screening and COVID-19 to enable the CRC fighting community to stand prepared and well-positioned to respond to and overcome the difficult task ahead.