Author: Emily Butler

2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting a Success!

The 26th annual National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable Annual Meeting took place Nov. 16-18 in Baltimore, MD, bringing together nationally known experts, thought leaders, and decision makers on colorectal cancer screening research, policy, and delivery.

NCCRT’s first in-person meeting since 2019 boasted record attendance (240 participants) and drew record-breaking sponsorships ($120,000), a clear testament to the energy and momentum behind the NCCRT’s 80% in Every Community campaign, which aims to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% and higher.

Meeting highlights included analyses on the latest colorectal cancer screening data, updates on progress toward reaching average-risk individuals for screening at age 45, and a moving and action-oriented discussion on implicit bias and the impact on patients and survivors.

“The palpable energy and enthusiasm of so many passionate and devoted people to meet in person and exchange ideas that will affect positive, and equitable, change in colorectal screening in every community, is what made the 2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting such a success” said NCCRT chair and Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences, and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Steven Itzkowitz.

Dr. Pascale White, a Co-Founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists and new member of the NCCRT Steering Committee, shared: “The 2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting was such a success due to its diverse group of attendees. It was inspiring to be among survivors, practitioners, and advocates who share the mission of amplifying CRC screening and promoting health equity. “

Meeting slides and select session recordings will be available on the NCCRT website, in the next couple weeks. Meanwhile, the highlight of the meeting, an “armchair conversation” on implicit bias between a primary care physician and a colon cancer survivor that experienced significant bias that delayed her diagnosis is available to view now.

We’re proud to share we saw robust engagement on our social channels (Twitter and LinkedIn), with 352 uses of our event hashtag, #NCCRT2022. Visit our channels to find additional meeting highlights and photos.

Thank you to all of our valued members, speakers, and sponsors for making the meeting such a success. We look forward to our continued work together as we relentlessly strive toward 80% in every community.

We highlight successes, leaders, best practices, and tools that are making an impact in the nationwide movement to reach 80% screened for colorectal cancer.

Do you have a suggestion for a future blog topic? We welcome you to share your suggestions by emailing nccrt@cancer.org.

BLOG POLICY

Opinions expressed in these blog posts are that of the author and do not represent policies of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable or the author’s institution.

Our staff moderate all comments on the 80% Blog. While we do not censor based on point of view, we will delete or edit comments that are offensive or off topic. Click here to view full version.

LinkedIn

2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting a Success!

December 5, 2022 – Authors: Emily Bell, MPH and Kaitlin Sylvester, MPA

The 26th annual National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable Annual Meeting took place Nov. 16-18 in Baltimore, MD, bringing together nationally known experts, thought leaders, and decision makers on colorectal cancer screening research, policy, and delivery.

NCCRT’s first in-person meeting since 2019 boasted record attendance (240 participants) and drew record-breaking sponsorships ($120,000), a clear testament to the energy and momentum behind the NCCRT’s 80% in Every Community campaign, which aims to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% and higher.

Meeting highlights included analyses on the latest colorectal cancer screening data, updates on progress toward reaching average-risk individuals for screening at age 45, and a moving and action-oriented discussion on implicit bias and the impact on patients and survivors.

“The palpable energy and enthusiasm of so many passionate and devoted people to meet in person and exchange ideas that will affect positive, and equitable, change in colorectal screening in every community, is what made the 2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting such a success” said NCCRT chair and Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences, and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Steven Itzkowitz.

Dr. Pascale White, a Co-Founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists and new member of the NCCRT Steering Committee, shared: “The 2022 NCCRT Annual Meeting was such a success due to its diverse group of attendees. It was inspiring to be among survivors, practitioners, and advocates who share the mission of amplifying CRC screening and promoting health equity. ”

Meeting slides and select session recordings will be available on the NCCRT website, in the next couple weeks. Meanwhile, the highlight of the meeting, an “armchair conversation” on implicit bias between a primary care physician and a colon cancer survivor that experienced significant bias that delayed her diagnosis is available to view now.

We’re proud to share we saw robust engagement on our social channels (Twitter and LinkedIn), with 352 uses of our event hashtag, #NCCRT2022. Visit our channels to find  additional meeting highlights and photos.

Thank you to all of our valued members, speakers, and sponsors for making the meeting such a success. We look forward to our continued work together as we relentlessly strive toward 80% in every community.

We highlight successes, leaders, best practices, and tools that are making an impact in the nationwide movement to reach 80% screened for colorectal cancer.

Do you have a suggestion for a future blog topic? We welcome you to share your suggestions by emailing nccrt@cancer.org.

BLOG POLICY

Opinions expressed in these blog posts are that of the author and do not represent policies of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable or the author’s institution.

Our staff moderate all comments on the 80% Blog. While we do not censor based on point of view, we will delete or edit comments that are offensive or off topic. Click here to view full version.

NCCRT Director Update – August 2022

August 16, 2022 – Authors: Emily Bell, MPH and Kaitlin Sylvester, MPA

Kaitlin Sylvester and Emily Bell

Each summer, the NCCRT steering committee meets at an annual retreat to reflect on the landscape of colorectal cancer screening, to review our current and recent work, and to chart our course for the coming year. We were thrilled to meet in-person with the group–for the first time since 2019!–in Washington, DC last week. 

We’re pleased to share with you the “State of the NCCRT” presentation that we prepared for the steering committee to summarize where we stand with our work toward 80% in Every Community—the collective efforts of the NCCRT membership, our Strategic Priority Teams, and numerous advisory groups.

We hope you will take a look at the exciting work completed or teed up for the remainder of 2022 and join us in the feeling of immense pride and gratitude for all that we are able to accomplish when we work together to achieve bold goals.

We are fortunate to work alongside you as we strive to reach 80% in Every Community. 

Thank you for all that you do!

Emily & Kaitlin

We highlight successes, leaders, best practices, and tools that are making an impact in the nationwide movement to reach 80% screened for colorectal cancer.

Do you have a suggestion for a future blog topic? We welcome you to share your suggestions by emailing nccrt@cancer.org.

BLOG POLICY

Opinions expressed in these blog posts are that of the author and do not represent policies of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable or the author’s institution.

Our staff moderate all comments on the 80% Blog. While we do not censor based on point of view, we will delete or edit comments that are offensive or off topic. Click here to view full version.

CRC News: March 3, 2022

Congratulations to the 2022 80% in Every Community National Achievement Award Winners!

The NCCRT has recognized six organizations with the 2022 80% in Every Community National Achievement Award, a prestigious national honor recognizing leadership given in recognition of distinguished, ongoing efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening rates across the United States. This year’s recipients include Pueblo Community Health Center, Pueblo, CO; Hitting Cancer Below the Belt, Richmond, VA; Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; Nebraska Cancer Coalition, Lincoln, NE; Senator Maryellen Goodwin and Representative Mia Ackerman, Providence, RI; and Access to Screening: A Colorectal Cancer Alliance Prevention Initiative, Washington, DC.

View and Share the Press Release

View and share the press release, amplify our posts on social media, and don’t miss our recognition of these distinguished honorees during our annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast on March 8th at 2:00 pm ET! (Learn more below.)

Reminder: Register for our Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast on March 8th!

Registration is open for NCCRT’s annual National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast on Tuesday, March 8 from 2-3:00 PM ET. We hope you will join us to celebrate national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates that inform our work.

 

Many thanks for the great work you do!

 

The NCCRT Team

 

 

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

 

Do you have a colleague that would like to be adding to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

CRC News: February 24, 2022

NCCRT Launches New Blue Star Conversation Series

The overwhelming feedback we received from the 2021 NCCRT Annual Meeting is that NCCRT members want us to deliver more timely presentations plus opportunities for in-depth conversation. It’s not easy to do this in the virtual environment, but we’re up for the challenge!

We are excited to announce our new Blue Star Conversations, a series of one-hour programs that will feature a brief, timely, topical presentation (just 15-20 minutes) followed by small group member discussions and regrouping for key takeaways. Each conversation in the series will be hosted by one of NCCRT’s six Strategic Priority Teams.

Join us for our first Blue Star Conversation on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, from 12:00-1:00 PM ET. The inaugural conversation, What Proportion of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer is Potentially Preventable Based on Family History and Genetics?, will be hosted by the Family History & Early Age Onset Strategic Priority Team and will feature Heather Hampel, MS, LGC, of City of Hope National Medical Center and co-chair of the Strategic Priority Team, who will present findings from the recent publication, A High Percentage of Early-age Onset Colorectal Cancer Is Potentially Preventable, published in Gastroenterology.

Registration is open to NCCRT members and CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program and Comprehensive Cancer Control Program grantees.

Do you need to update your NCCRT member representatives? Or are you unsure of who is on our lists? Please email nccrt@cancer.org.

We hope you will join us for this exciting new series!

To register, use the link in CRC News that was sent to NCCRT members on February 24, 2022. 

 

Welcome our Newest NCCRT Members!

We are pleased to announce the addition of four new NCCRT members: FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, Ostomy 2-1-1 Inc., PALTOWN Development Foundation/COLONTOWN, and Geneoscopy, Inc., which will be joining the NCCRT as a corporate associate. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to these new NCCRT Members!

Reminder: Register for NCCRT’s Annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast!

Registration is open for NCCRT’s annual National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast on Tuesday, March 8 from 2-3:00 PM ET. We hope you will join us to celebrate national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates that inform our work.

Many thanks for the great work you do!

The NCCRT Team

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

Do you have a colleague that would like to be added to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

CRC News: February 16, 2022

ACS National Consortium Publishes New Consensus Recommendations for Improving Cancer Screening and Care in the US

Today the American Cancer Society National Consortium for Cancer Screening and Care (ACS National Consortium) released a set of consensus recommendations in a new report Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Improving Cancer Screening and Care in the US. Companion materials are also available.

The ACS National Consortium launched in March 2021 with the aim to quicken the nation’s collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s detrimental impact on cancer screening and care. The group represents a diverse, multi-sector coalition of 28 organizational members.

To develop the recommendations, the ACS National Consortium hosted public forums, informational webcasts, and member summits, and identified key opportunities where partners can catalyze change by accelerating, strengthening, and mobilizing around sensible, but bold, cancer screening and care activities. The report is geared towards clinicians, health systems, public health partners, and advocacy organizations.

Special thanks to Folasade May, PhD, MD, MPhil, from the University of California Los Angeles for serving as NCCRT’s member representative in the consortium.

View the press release and find more information at consortium.acs4ccc.org/.

 

Upcoming NCCRT Member Events

  • Dress in Blue Day is Friday, March 4! The annual event brings awareness to colorectal cancer and honors those who are impacted by the disease. Visit the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to learn more and find sample social media posts and graphics.
  • Join the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists on March 10 from 8-9:00 PM ET for Let’s Beat Colorectal Cancer – An Update for the Black Community, an awareness month event, to learn about what colorectal cancer is, find out what’s new with colorectal cancer screening and how to get screened, and hear powerful stories from survivors and caregivers. NCCRT is a proud sponsor of this event.
  • Fight Colorectal Cancer is hosting its annual Call-on Congress event, an opportunity for advocates from across the country to share your stories and educate members of Congress on issues impacting you and the colorectal cancer community, March 16-17 in Washington, DC. This year the event will feature United in Blue, the first-ever flag installation on the National Mall to spotlight colorectal cancer as a national priority and raise awareness that we need to fight for more.
  • Registration is open for the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2022 Prevent Cancer Dialogue, June 9-10 in Arlington, VA. Hear from well-known experts and engaging speakers on important trending topics in cancer prevention and early detection. Register before March 31 to receive the early bird rate. Visit the conference webpage to submit nominations to the Laurels Awards program by March 2 and to make a poster abstract submission by March 3.
  • Registration is open for the 2022 Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium conference to be held June 15-17 in Irving, Texas. The conference provides an opportunity for consortium members to discuss challenges and share knowledge, tools, resources and strategic approaches to increase colorectal cancer screening rates for the southeast.

Would you like to let us know about an upcoming colorectal cancer screening-related meeting or event? Please send information to nccrt@cancer.org.

Reminder: Register for NCCRT’s Annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast!

Registration is open for NCCRT’s annual National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast on Tuesday, March 8 from 2-3:00 PM ET. We hope you will join us to celebrate national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates that inform our work.

Many thanks for the great work you do!

 

The NCCRT Team

 

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

 

Do you have a colleague that would like to be added to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

CRC News: February 8, 2022

Registration Now Open: Annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast!

Registration is open for NCCRT’s annual National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast on Tuesday, March 8th from 2-3 PM ET. We hope you will join us to celebrate national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates that inform our work. Hear from Steven Itzkowitz, MD, and Robert Smith, PhD, NCCRT co-chairs; Sallyann C. King, MD, MSc, FAHA, Medical Director, Colorectal Cancer Control Program, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and other special guests.

The webcast will also feature our 2022 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards winners—stay tuned for the announcement the first week of March!

The webcast is free and is open to NCCRT members, 80% Pledge partners, CDC grantees, ACS and ACS CAN staff, and other partners working to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. Pre-registration is required.

 

Register Now: Let’s Beat Colorectal Cancer – An Update for the Black Community

The NCCRT is proud to sponsor an upcoming Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month event from the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH), a non-profit organization founded in 2021 by gastroenterologists and hepatologists for the purpose of addressing health care disparities in gastrointestinal and liver diseases disproportionately affecting Black communities.

Join the ABGH on March 10, 2022 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET to learn about what colorectal cancer is, find out what’s new with colorectal cancer screening and how to get screened, and hear powerful stories from survivors and caregivers. Register at letsbeatcrc.eventbrite.com. Follow ABGH at www.blackingastro.org.

 

Reminder: Call for Nominations for the 2022 Cancer Prevention Laurels Awards & Call for Poster Submissions

The NCCRT is pleased to join the Prevent Cancer Foundation as co-sponsors of their prestigious Laurel awards program. You are invited to nominate individuals who you believe deserve this recognition. Submit your nominations by COB on Wednesday, March 2. If you have any questions, please contact Hayley Berger at hayley.berger@preventcancer.org.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation is also seeking poster abstract submissions to be presented at the upcoming Dialogue (details below) by Thursday, March 3. Learn more about this opportunity and how to submit your abstract.

Additionally, please save the date for the Foundation’s annual Prevent Cancer Dialogue: Prevention, Screening, Action on June 9-10, 2022. For more about the Laurels awards and the Dialogue, visit www.preventcancerdialogue.org.

 

NCCRT Member Events

  • Exact Sciences, an NCCRT member, is hosting a webinar tomorrow, Wednesday, February 9th, 2022, with viewing options at 2:00pm ET and 6:00pm ET titled, The Exact Science Behind Cologuard®: Impact of Real-World Adherence of CRC Screening on Modeled Health Outcomes and Cost-effectiveness. The program will include Chief Medical Officer, Paul Limburg, MD, MPH, AGAF, and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Durado Brooks, MD, MPH.

Registration is now open for the 2022 Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium (SECRCC) conference to be held June 15-17, 2022, in Irving, Texas. The conference provides an opportunity for consortium members to discuss challenges and share knowledge, tools, resources, and strategic approaches to increase CRC screening rates for the southeast.

 

Many thanks for the great work you do!

The NCCRT Team

 

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

Do you have a colleague that would like to be added to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

CRC News: February 2, 2022

Today, President Joe Biden announced a relaunch of the “Cancer Moonshot” program with a goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.

Also today, the President’s Cancer Panel released a timely report that spotlights innovative approaches to improve the uptake of cancer screening nationwide and also calls for expanding evidence-based programs to better address equity in cancer screening access and outcomes. The report, Closing Gaps in Cancer Screening: Connecting People, Communities, and Systems to Improve Equity and Access, identifies four critical goals to improve cancer screening rates and to close gaps in screening access:

  1. Improve and align cancer screening communication;
  2. Facilitate equitable access to cancer screening;
  3. Strengthen workforce collaborations to support cancer screening and risk assessment; and
  4. Create health information technology that promotes appropriate cancer risk assessment and screening.

The report includes a recommendation to “Expand and strengthen National Cancer Roundtables that include a focus on cancer screening”, and specifically acknowledges the NCCRT as an exemplary model to promote evidence-based cancer screening strategies. Since our founding in 1997, the NCCRT has acted as a catalyst to stimulate work on key issues around colorectal cancer. With our 80% in Every Community campaign, launched in 2019, we have a renewed collaborative focus toward driving effective and equitable cancer screening priorities.

Dr. Steven Itzkowitz shared: “As Chair of the NCCRT, I’d like to commend the Panel for their focus on the critical need to prioritize cancer screening and in particular for their recognition of the national roundtables. For 25 years, the NCCRT has been committed to increasing awareness and access to timely colorectal cancer screening in every community. It’s clear that our work is as important as ever, and that our screening efforts are THE opportunity to end colorectal cancer as we know it.”

But of course, a roundtable’s strength is built on the engagement of its dedicated member organizations, and we want to take a moment to sincerely thank all of our members and partners who make the NCCRT a strong, united, and productive coalition. We look forward to working with you to do our part to implement the recommendations and continue to play a leadership role in efforts to make impactful and long last change to colorectal cancer outcomes.

With gratitude for your passion and dedication,

The NCCRT team

 

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

Do you have a colleague that would like to be added to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

CRC News: January 12, 2022

Dear NCCRT Members and 80% Partners,

We are thinking of you and hope that you stay healthy and safe during this latest surge of cases in the COVID-19 pandemic. We also want to share our gratitude with those of you who are working long hours on the front lines in health care. We are humbled by your dedication and appreciate all that you are doing to care for people in your communities.

Please read on for several updates and a special message from Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, our new NCCRT chair.

Be safe and well,

The NCCRT Team

Policy Success: Health Plans Can No Longer Impose Cost Sharing for Follow-up Colonoscopy

For years NCCRT members have been advocating for a policy fix to ensure patients do not receive charges for a colonoscopy following a positive non-colonoscopy screening test. (The Affordable Care Act eliminates cost-sharing for United States Preventive Services Task Force–recommended preventative services for individuals who are privately insured, including screening for colorectal cancer, but some health plans apply cost-sharing to follow-up colonoscopies.) As of Monday, this policy loophole has been addressed!

On January 10th, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury issued FAQs regarding coverage of colonoscopies pursuant to USPSTF recommendations. The FAQ specifies that plans are required to cover without cost-sharing, a follow-up colonoscopy performed to evaluate a positive non-invasive stool-based screening test or direct visualization test. Plans and issuers must provide coverage without cost sharing for plan or policy years beginning on or after May 31, 2022.

The Administration’s new policy does not change Medicare’s rules, which have not been updated to provide coverage of follow-up colonoscopies at no cost. With respect to Medicaid coverage, individuals who have Medicaid because their states expanded the program would receive a follow-up colonoscopy at no cost. However, individuals in the traditional Medicaid programs would not necessarily benefit from the new policy (because preventive services are not a mandatory benefit for this population), though each state could choose to update their Medicaid benefits.

Despite these limitations, this is a tremendous success, thanks in no small part to the work of numerous NCCRT members.

View the FAQs (see questions seven and eight on pages 11-12).

View the ACS CAN press release: New Guidance from Administration Helps Ensure Coverage for Follow-up Colonoscopies, Will Save Lives from Colon Cancer.

New 80% Blog Post: Welcome to the New Year from Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, NCCRT Chair

Don’t miss the latest post on the 80% Blog from Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, our new NCCRT chair! Hear his reflections on our work in 2021, a bit about what the NCCRT is working on in 2022, and his hopes for our work together this year.

NCCRT Welcomes a New Program Manager!

We’re excited to welcome Ivonne Lopez, MA, to the NCCRT team! Ivonne will be responsible for managing ongoing NCCRT projects, assisting the directors in planning NCCRT events and strategic forums, among other activities. Until recently, Ivonne served as the COVID-19 Response Project Manager for the Hispanic Health Council in Hartford, CT. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Global Development with a concentration in Conflict Resolution. Ivonne brings a wealth of experience working with volunteers, creating strategies to work effectively with diverse populations, and managing complex projects and programs.

We are thrilled for Ivonne to join the NCCRT team and hope you will have the opportunity to get to know her soon!

Call for Nominations for the 2022 Cancer Prevention Laurels Awards

The NCCRT is pleased to join the Prevent Cancer Foundation as co-sponsors of their prestigious Laurel awards program. You are invited to nominate individuals who you believe deserve this recognition. Awards will be made in these categories to recognize work in any area of cancer prevention or early detection, especially in times of COVID:

  • Cancer Prevention Laurel for National Leadership
  • Cancer Prevention Laurel for Dedication to Community Service
  • Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity through Innovation

You may make one or more nominations; however, you may nominate someone for only one award category and may make only one nomination per award category. Provide a letter for each nomination describing why the nominee should be recognized with a particular award and include a short biographical sketch (no CVs, please). Submit your nominations by COB on Wednesday, March 2. If you have any questions, please contact Hayley Berger at hayley.berger@preventcancer.org.

Additionally, please save the date for the Foundation’s annual Prevent Cancer Dialogue: Prevention, Screening, Action on June 9-10, 2022. For more about the Laurels awards and the Dialogue, visit www.preventcancerdialogue.org.

Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium Save the Date

Save the date for the 2022 Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium (SECRCC) conference to be held June 15-17, 2022, in Irving, Texas. The conference provides an opportunity for consortium members to discuss challenges and share knowledge, tools, resources, and strategic approaches to increase CRC screening rates for the southeast.

 

Many thanks for the great work you do!

The NCCRT Team

 

Did you miss a past edition of CRC News? Visit the News & Research archive.

Do you have a colleague that would like to be added to receive our newsletter? Please encourage them to sign up to receive CRC News.

Welcome to the New Year from Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, New NCCRT Chair

January 12, 2022 – Author: Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF

The beginning of a new year is typically a time for optimism, goal-setting, and fresh starts, but clearly the start of 2022 feels different. With the surge of cases brought on by the Omicron variant, and our health care system and workforce stretched to new limits, it is hard to be optimistic. However, as I reflect on 2021 and the work of our colorectal cancer fighting community, I am humbled and hopeful for the future. The relentless passion of our NCCRT members and partners has been an inspiration to me since I first attended an NCCRT meeting in 2003 and is what makes me so excited about working with you in my new role as Chair.

But first, I want to share my immense gratitude with all of you who are working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Your tireless dedication to protecting our communities against COVID-19 and caring for those infected by the virus is invaluable, immeasurable, and has not been acknowledged in ways you truly deserve. I have seen at my own hospital how stretched the doctors, nurses, trainees, and all support staff are, not only from getting COVID themselves, but having to cover other colleagues who are out sick or who have to provide child or elder care.

As I look back on our work in 2021, I am proud to reflect on our adaptability and innovation. While colorectal cancer screening rates lagged even during times that COVID-19 cases improved, you pivoted to provide options for your patients, utilizing at-home, stool-based tests. Then in May when the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) changed its colorectal cancer screening recommendation to initiate screening for those at average risk at age 45, you rallied together to adapt your processes, promote the new guideline, and advocate for policy changes to ensure swift adoption for health insurance plans. Then, in November, at the 2021 80% in Every Community Conference & NCCRT Annual Meeting, you demonstrated your steadfast commitment to tackling persistent barriers to screening, presenting on the latest research, promising practices, and policy developments, and engaging in critical discussions to advance our work in addressing the NCCRT’s current three priority areas:

  1. On-time screening (as soon as eligible whether average or increased risk)
  2. Timely colonoscopy follow-up to abnormal non-colonoscopy test
  3. Understanding and addressing the source of disparities

The Annual Meeting was one of the most engaging meetings we have had in recent years, with every topic having direct relevance to our work on the ground.

And 2022 is already bringing some early successes. Most importantly, On January 10th the Department of Labor issued an FAQ regarding coverage of colonoscopies pursuant to USPSTF recommendations. The FAQ specifies that plans are required to cover without cost-sharing, a follow-up colonoscopy performed to evaluate a positive non-invasive stool-based screening test or direct visualization test. Beginning on or after May 31, 2022, plans must provide coverage without cost sharing for plan or policy years. This is a tremendous success, thanks in no small part to the work of numerous NCCRT members.

I’m also excited to share with you that we have several exciting new resources and opportunities in the pipeline for the coming year:

  • We will soon release our new Steps Guide for Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care Practices, which is being updated to reflect the new guidelines, recent research and best practices, and will now be expanded beyond community health centers to all primary care settings;
  • We are working on new market research to better understand how to reach Black and African American adults and adults that are newly or soon-to-be eligible for colorectal cancer screening; and
  • We are planning a new webcast series, which we’re calling Blue Star Conversations, in which our Strategic Priority Teams will host virtual meetings featuring an expert speaker on a timely topic, followed by member conversation. Watch for registration for these “meet the expert” sessions coming soon!

I also want to share a reminder that the NCCRT’s 2020 resource, Reigniting Colorectal Cancer Screening As Communities Face And Respond To The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Playbook, remains a vital resource to align NCCRT members and partners in working to reignite screening during the pandemic. We will look for opportunities to update and add to this work this year.

Since our mission is to reach “every community”, we need to redouble our efforts to identify and overcome the CRC screening rates based on disparities related to race, ethnicity, gender-identity, and insurance, in our local communities. Collectively, we have huge talents and expertise to overcome these barriers, and we know, by example, that it can be done.  

While the challenges in our day-to-day lives and in our work remain unprecedented, I am confident that we will continue to find new ways to adapt and innovate to reach more individuals for colorectal cancer screening, and in turn save more lives from this often-preventable disease. I’m in awe of your dedication and proud to work alongside you as we strive to reach 80% in Every Community. 

Thank you for all that you do. Stay safe and well.

Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF
Professor of Medicine, Oncological Sciences and Medical Education
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Chair, NCCRT

We highlight successes, leaders, best practices, and tools that are making an impact in the nationwide movement to reach 80% screened for colorectal cancer.

Do you have a suggestion for a future blog topic? We welcome you to share your suggestions by emailing nccrt@cancer.org.

BLOG POLICY

Opinions expressed in these blog posts are that of the author and do not represent policies of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable or the author’s institution.

Our staff moderate all comments on the 80% Blog. While we do not censor based on point of view, we will delete or edit comments that are offensive or off topic. Click here to view full version.