Temple Health is working to address the issue of low rates of routine colon cancer screenings among eligible adults. Dr. Abraham Ifrah, an internal medicine resident at Temple, emphasizes the importance of reaching marginalized individuals with preventative care. The gold standard for detecting colorectal cancer is a colonoscopy, but many people face challenges in completing this process, such as lack of transportation, health insurance, or paid time off work. To address this, Temple Health is promoting awareness around take-home fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) as an alternative screening option.
Early detection of cancer can lead to successful treatment and even a cure, but many adults who are eligible for routine screening at age 45 are not getting the preventative colonoscopies they need. This can lead to the disease being diagnosed at an advanced stage, making treatment more difficult. A positive trend in recent years has been the decline in new cases of colon cancer among older adults, largely attributed to improved screening techniques. However, it’s important that we continue to increase access to screening options and reduce disparities in outcomes for all individuals facing barriers to accessing life-saving screenings.
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