This morning I received a call from a past patient of mine...I had seen him in 2001 for metastatic colon cancer. He called to say he was cancer free and doing very well! A bit later, I read the results of the 2009 Colorectal Cancer Screening Legislation Report Card (PDF view) which was recently released. While CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reported that for the first time since it was first issued six years ago, the report shows that more states have instituted colon cancer screening laws than before...but there is still work to be done. Twenty-one states, plus D.C., got an A, and 19 have gotten an F.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women in this country, killing nearly 50,000 people annually. But when detected early, it can be successfully treated the vast majority of the time. And prevention is sure better than treatment.
If you want to learn more, visit: ww.cbsnews.com and type in the search: Colon Cancer State Rankings or click on the PDF view above.
Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD
