Reminder: NCCRT Webinar on the 2021 USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation

Join NCCRT’s next webinar, 2021 USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation Lowers Screening Age from 50 to 45: Implications for NCCRT partners, on Monday, June 7 from 12:00-1:00 PM ET to hear a panel of expert speakers discuss:

• What changed in the new recommendation? And what data informed the decision to lower the screening age to 45?
• What data do we have on screening in 45-49-year-olds and what do we know about them?
• How does the new recommendation impact insurance coverage and what is the timeline?
• When will the new guideline be reflected in colorectal cancer screening quality measures and national screening rate indicators?
• The experiences of one state (Indiana) that began implementing screening at age 45 statewide following legislation to lower the screening age in 2019.

Speakers:

• Heather Dacus, DO, MPH; Director, Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control, NYS Department of Health; NCCRT Policy Action Strategic Priority Team Co-chair (Moderator)
• Robert Smith, PHD; Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening; American Cancer Society; NCCRT Co-chair
• Anna Schwamlein Howard; Principal, Policy Development, Access to and Quality of Care; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• Sepheen Byron; Assistant Vice President of Performance Measurement, the National Committee for Quality Assurance
• Stacey Fedewa, PhD; Scientific Director, Screening and Risk Factors Surveillance; American Cancer Society
• Bryan Hannon; Regional Government Relations Director; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Register

Upcoming NCCRT Member Events

• The Colorectal Cancer Alliance is hosting a Facebook Live panel discussion, “Facebook Live on ’45′”, about the 2021 USPSTF colorectal cancer screening recommendation on June 4 at 11 AM ET . Follow the Alliance on Facebook for a reminder.
• Exact Sciences is hosting a live national webinar titled, “The New USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation: From Release to Implementation,” Thursday June 10 with viewing options at 2:00 PM ET and 6:00 PM ET.
• Fight Colorectal Cancer is hosting a webinar on the 2021 USPSTF colorectal cancer screening recommendation and what it means for addressing early age onset colorectal cancer globally at11:30 AM ET on June 25 as part of the larger Rally on Research virtual event.
• Fight Colorectal Cancer is also hosting a Day of Action advocacy event on Monday, June 14 to make sure elected officials know the facts about early age onset colorectal cancer and #PrioritizeCRC.

Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News

• A new article from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine details economic evidence from The Community Guide and shows interventions engaging community health workers for colorectal cancer screening are cost-effective and may be cost-saving.
• Development of a multilevel intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening in Appalachia, published in Implementation Science Communications on May 19, describes the development and baseline findings from year 1 of “Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) in Appalachia,” a 5-year, National Cancer Institute Cancer Moonshot-funded multilevel intervention (MLI) project to increase screening in Appalachian Kentucky and Ohio primary care clinics.
• Every two years, researchers from the American Cancer Society analyze data from multiple national surveys to understand how many adults in the United States report behaviors that can affect their cancer risk or help find it early—because these efforts are central to reducing the cancer burden. The current findings are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention as well as in the ACS report Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Facts & Figures, 2021-2022.

2021 USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation Lowers Screening Age from 50 to 45

Today the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final Recommendation, Evidence Summary, and Modeling Study on screening for colorectal cancer. The primary difference from the previous 2016 recommendation is that average risk adults are now recommended to start screening at age 45, in alignment with the American Cancer Society’s 2018 recommendation.

The recommendation to begin screening at age 45 follows a growing body of research indicating a rising incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults as incidence declines in older age groups. The median age of diagnosis has dropped from age 72 in 2001-2002 to age 66 during 2015-2016. Half of all new diagnoses are in people 66 or younger.

Although some health plans have already begun to cover colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 following the ACS’s 2018 recommendation, under the Affordable Care Act, coverage of screening by most commercial plans beginning at age 45 will now be mandated by law. Learn more in this American Cancer Society press release featuring responses from Bob Smith, PHD, Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening; American Cancer Society, and NCCRT co-chair.

Join NCCRT’s next webinar, 2021 USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation Lowers Screening Age from 50 to 45: Implications for NCCRT partners, on Monday, June 7 from 12:00-1:00 PM ET to hear a panel of expert speakers discuss:

• What changed in the new recommendation? And what data informed the decision to lower the screening age to 45?
• How does the new recommendation impact insurance coverage and what is the timeline?
• When will the new guideline be reflected in colorectal cancer screening quality measures (UDS, HEDIS) and national screening rate indicators (BRFSS, NHIS)?
• The experiences of one state (Indiana) that began implementing screening at age 45 statewide following legislation to lower the screening age in 2019.

Speakers:

• Robert Smith, PHD; Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening; American Cancer Society
• Anna Schwamlein Howard; Principal, Policy Development, Access to and Quality of Care; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• Stacey Fedewa, PhD; Scientific Director, Screening and Risk Factors Surveillance; American Cancer Society
• Bryan Hannon; Regional Government Relations Director; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Register Now: American Cancer Society National Consortium Hosts a Timely Issue Hub on Accelerating What We Know Works in Cancer Screening and Care

Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Time: 2:30 to 4:00 PM ET

Register Here

In 2020, the American Cancer Society (ACS) launched an enterprise-wide initiative to assist public health agencies, health care providers, and screening advocates across the nation in the promotion and delivery of cancer screening and care appropriately, safely, and equitably during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of that initiative, a national consortium of leading organizations and scientific advisors has been convened to accelerate, strengthen, and mobilize around sensible, but bold, cancer screening and care activities.

The ACS National Consortium will host its first Issue Hub on June 1 from 2:30 to 4:00 PM ET to explore key areas of alignment in the implementation of evidence-based and emerging cancer control activities. While new challenges have arisen in the wake of the pandemic, many of the solutions that improve access to quality cancer screening and care are already known. To that end, as the cancer control community unites in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to:

• Identify and prioritize those proven interventions that increase cancer screening rates,
• Accelerate the adoption of these interventions nationwide, and
• Explore where the pandemic has necessitated innovation and expanded our capacity in cancer screening activities.

Breaking News: CRC Screening Recommended for 2022 Medicaid Core Set

Earlier today the Medicaid Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup met to make recommendations for changes to the Child and Adult Core Sets for 2022 and voted unanimously to recommend adding colorectal cancer screening as a quality measure.

Next steps for the Workgroup include release of a draft report for public comment in July 2021, release of a final report in August 2021, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) review of final report and additional stakeholder input September to December 2021, and the release of the 2022 Core Sets by December 31, 2021.

Thank you to the numerous NCCRT members and partners that helped pave the way for this major milestone in tracking and reporting on CRC screening!

Replay Available: 2021 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast

Did you miss NCCRT’s April 15 webinar: Colorectal Cancer Screening & COVID-19 Update: A Look at the Current Landscape One Year into the Pandemic? Now you can watch the replay! Watch the webinar replay to learn what progress we’ve made and what challenges remain for colorectal cancer screening in 2021.

Upcoming NCCRT Member Events Addressing Early Age Onset CRC

The Colon Cancer Foundation is hosting the 7th Annual Early-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer Summit in a virtual format, May 14th through 16th, 2021. Similar to prior Summits, expert faculty will contribute to in-depth discussions on:

• The earliest recognition of symptoms and timely diagnosis of early-onset disease;

• Assessing risk factors and the importance of family health history;

• Ensuring the care plan includes quality of life and fertility preserving treatment;

• Identifying all probable causes of the disease.

CME opportunities are available. Visit eaocrc.org to view the complete schedule and see the faculty listing. Registration is complimentary.

Fight Colorectal Cancer is hosting the 2021 Rally on Research, an interactive two-day event onJune 24-25, 2021, inspired and co-hosted by Dr. José Perea of Madrid, Spain. Engage with other researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates to build a path toward a cure for early-age onset colorectal cancer. Learn more and register.

Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News

• The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) published an updated NCCN Clinical Practice Guideline in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for colorectal cancer screening on March 25 that lowers the recommended age to start colorectal cancer screening in average risk adults to age 45.

• “Estimated Projection of US Cancer Incidence and Death to 2040,” published in JAMA Network Open on April 7, includes the following sobering prediction: “In the group aged 20 to 49 years, colorectal cancer was estimated to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030.”

• Two recent publications estimate COVID-19 pandemic impacts to utilization of stool-based colorectal cancer screening tests:

• “Model-Based Estimation of Colorectal Cancer Screening and Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” published in JAMA Network Open on April 12.
• “Non-invasive Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests Help Close Screening Gaps during COVID-19 Pandemic,” published in Gastroenterology on April 15, with commentary published in Reuters on April 30.

• Candace Henley, founder of the Blue Hat Foundation and NCCRT Steering Committee member, shared the story of her experience as a Black woman navigating the healthcare system leading up to her colon cancer diagnosis at age 35 on KCM (Katie Couric Media) on April 26: Navigating the Healthcare Gap: One Woman’s Story of Survival.

• Ibram X. Kendi, an American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race, shared his experience as a colon cancer survivor and highlighted the disproportionate impacts of the disease on Blacks and African Americans in GQ on April 22: Scar Stories: The Toll of Colon Cancer.

Reminder: Save the Date for the 2021 NCCRT Annual Meeting & 80% in Every Community Conference

We hope you will save the dates to join us for NCCRT’s 25th Annual Meeting and second 80% in Every Community Conference November 15-17, 2021. We don’t yet know whether our meeting will be offered as an in-person meeting, virtual meeting, or a hybrid of the two, but we will share more in the coming months. For now, please mark your calendars! Updates will be shared in this newsletter and on the event webpage.

Dear NCCRT Members:

Next week the Medicaid Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup is meeting to make recommendations for changes to the Child and Adult Core Sets for 2022, which will include reviewing and voting on adding colorectal cancer screening as a quality measure. The public is invited to register to join the meeting and comment on Thursday, May 6th at 12:00pm ET.

Right now, it is optional for state Medicaid agencies to track and report on CRC screening. As such, the potential inclusion of colorectal cancer screening as a measure may be of interest to the NCCRT community.

Registration is required to participate and comment.

Additionally, Margaret Hitchcock of the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4) has generously offered to share talking points developed to support the addition of the measure.

Special thanks to Stony Anderson of C4 for his excellent work pushing for the inclusion of CRC screening in the Medicaid and CHIP Core Set Annual Review. Additional thanks to Margaret Hitchcock, Folasade May, Beverly Green, Richard Wender, Robert Smith, Caroline Powers, Heather Dacus, and other members of the NCCRT Policy Action Strategic Priority Team for helping to bring this issue to attention.

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.

 

Save the Date: 2021 NCCRT Annual Meeting & 80% in Every Community Conference We hope you will save the dates to join us for NCCRT’s 25th Annual Meeting and second 80% in Every Community Conference November 15-17, 2021. We don’t yet know whether our meeting will be offered as an in-person meeting, virtual meeting, or a hybrid of the two, but we will share more in the coming months. For now, please mark your calendars! Updates will be shared in this newsletter and on the event webpage. New Member Resource: Continuing Education Courses for Healthcare Providers on Colorectal Cancer Screening We invite you to visit the NCCRT Resource Center to check out the latest member resource addition:Continuing Education Courses for Healthcare Providers on Colorectal Cancer Screening, two free continuing education courses produced in partnership by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Medscape Education. Do you have a resource that you think would be a good fit for the Resource Center? Learn how tosubmit a resource. Reminder: Register for Colorectal Cancer Screening & COVID-19 Update Webinar Join us for NCCRT’s next webinar on Thursday, April 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, in which we will reconvene the authors of NCCRT’s action-oriented playbook (released June 2020) for how NCCRT members, 80% pledged partners, and colorectal cancer screening advocates across the nation can work together to reignite our screening efforts appropriately, safely, and equally for all communities. This webinar will bring the group back together to discuss what progress we’ve made and what challenges remain for colorectal cancer screening in 2021. Register Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News • Please join us in congratulating Bruce Waldholtz, MD, 2020 recipient of the American Cancer Society’s Volunteer Leadership Award. Many of you will know Dr. Waldholtz, a gastroenterologist based in Virginia, for his decades of leadership in championing colorectal cancer screening. Learn more about him and his work in this local media clip. • Last month, Jennifer Weiss, MD, MS, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison joined the American Cancer Society’s Theory Lab podcast to share on her ACS-funded research into how some rural clinics have achieved high colorectal cancer screening rates. • Former NCCRT Steering Committee member Frank Berger, PhD, published: “Why Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is really something to celebrate this year.” • Former NCCRT Steering Committee member Andi Dwyer published: “Priorities of Unmet Needs for Those Affected by Colorectal Cancer: Considerations From a Series of Nominal Group Technique Sessions,” the results of which are summarized in this article. • “Adenocarcinomas, as opposed to carcinoids, are primarily driving increases in early-onset colorectal cancer rates,” published March 16 as correspondence in Gastroenterology clarifies the findings published in “Contributions of Adenocarcinoma and Carcinoid Tumors to Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rates in the United States” in Annals of Internal Medicine in February. Authors include current and former NCCRT Steering Committee members Jordan Karlitz, MD, and Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF. • Several recent publications describe the association between time to colonoscopy and colorectal cancer outcomes: o “The Push for Timely Follow-up After Abnormal At-home Colon Cancer Screening Results,” published in JAMA Network on March 31. o “Time to Colonoscopy After Abnormal Stool-Based Screening and Risk for Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality,” published in Gastroenterology on February 2. o “Non-compliance with colonoscopy after a positive faecal immunochemical test doubles the risk of dying from colorectal cancer,” published in Gut on March 31.

Dear NCCRT Members & 80% Partners: We are excited to see share with you several updates for the fourth week of March, National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!

Job Opportunity: Director, NCCRT – Programs and Partnerships The American Cancer Society is seeking applicants for the position of Director, NCCRT – Programs and Partnerships. This position guides the NCCRT and ACS’s 80% in Every Community national campaign focused on increasing colorectal cancer screening rates to 80 percent nationwide. This position also provides leadership in strategic decision-making by identifying emerging science and trends, translating applied research, formulating science–based public health strategies, and builds external partnerships to advance the ACS mission, particularly for colorectal cancer. This role also offers leadership and subject matter expertise in colorectal cancer screening to comprehensive cancer control programs/coalitions by working closely with ACS Comprehensive Cancer Control initiatives team. The person in this position will co-direct the NCCRT in partnership with Emily Bell, MPH, Director, NCCRT – Colorectal Cancer Interventions. This is a remote, home-based position. Caleb Levell, MA, who previously served in this position, is starting a new position with ACS as Strategic Director, National Partnerships & Roundtables. In this role, he will be tasked with guiding the enterprise strategy for convening national partnerships including ACS-led Roundtables and other mission critical collaboratives. We are glad to share that he will continue to work closely with NCCRT providing oversight and strategic direction to the NCCRT. Please share the opportunity widely! Learn More and Apply Replay Available: 2021 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast Did you miss NCCRT’s annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast on March 16, 2021? Now you can watch the replay! Watch the webcast to learn about national achievements and to hear the latest state of the field updates that inform our work. Reminder: Register for Colorectal Cancer Screening & COVID-19 Update Webinar Join us for NCCRT’s next webinar on Thursday, April 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, in which we will reconvene the authors of NCCRT’s action-oriented playbook (released June 2020) for how NCCRT members, 80% pledged partners, and colorectal cancer screening advocates across the nation can work together to reignite our screening efforts appropriately, safely, and equally for all communities. The NCCRT hosted a discussion with the authors on July 23, 2020. This webinar will bring the group back together to discuss what progress we’ve made and what challenges remain for colorectal cancer screening in 2021. 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 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.

Dear NCCRT Members & 80% Partners:

We are excited to share with you several updates for the third week of March, National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!

Registration Open: Colorectal Cancer Screening & COVID-19 Update Webinar

Join us for NCCRT’s next webinar on Thursday, April 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, in which we will reconvene the authors of NCCRT’s action-oriented playbook (released June 2020) for how NCCRT members, 80% pledged partners, and colorectal cancer screening advocates across the nation can work together to reignite our screening efforts appropriately, safely, and equally for all communities. The NCCRT hosted a discussion with the authors on July 23, 2020. This webinar will bring the group back together to discuss what progress we’ve made and what challenges remain for colorectal cancer screening in 2021.

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

Last Call: Register for our Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast Today at 3 PM ET!

It’s not too late to register for our annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast today, March 16, at 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.

Learn More and Register

Prevent Cancer Foundation Call for Grant Applications

The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s community grants program funds vital community-level projects in cancer prevention and early detection across the United States. Awards are for one-year, $25,000 grants.

Application Deadline: April 21, 2021. Apply and learn more.

 

New NCCRT 80% in Every Community Brief for Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalitions

Comprehensive cancer control (CCC) programs and coalitions play a critical role in promoting colorectal cancer screening messages and activities in community settings across the United States. The newly released brief, What Can Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalitions Do to Advance 80% in Every Community?, contains useful information and resources that will accelerate efforts to improve screening rates in your state, tribal organization, or territory.

The American Cancer Society Releases Guidance on Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Late last month the American Cancer Society released the 2021 Messaging Guidebook: Effectively Messaging Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which includes information on both old and new barriers to cancer screening, delivers updated findings on how the pandemic has impacted cancer care, and shares tested messages that will resonate throughout the pandemic. A companion brief and additional communications assets are also included to support your organization’s return to cancer screening outreach efforts.

This work builds on the ACS Guidance on Cancer Screening During COVID-19, released in October 2020, which provides guidance on how public health agencies, health care providers, and screening advocates across the nation can promote and deliver cancer screening appropriately, safely, and equitably during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reminder: Register for our Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Webcast on March 16!

We hope you will join us on March 16 at 3:00 PM ET for our annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast. Hear from Richard Wender, MD, and Robert Smith, PhD, NCCRT co-chairs; Lisa Richardson, MD, MPH, Director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control; Rebecca Siegel, MPH, Senior Scientific Director, Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society; Folasade May, MD, PhD, MPhil, UCLA Health, our 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards grand prize honoree; and other special guests.

Ways to get engaged:

1. Send us a picture of you dressed in blue for colorectal cancer awareness! Email your photo to nccrt@cancer.org by March 12th to be included in a photo montage during the webcast.
2. Connect with us on social media! Follow #80inEveryCommunity on Twitter and follow our Facebook page.
3. Spread the word! Share the link to register with your colleagues and partners.
4. Join us. Learn how you can join the shared goal to reach 80% in Every Community.

Partner Events this March

Below are just a few of the exciting events that partner organizations are hosting this March. Share your event using #80inEveryCommunity or tag @NCCRTnews and we’ll be sure to share!

• Throughout the month, the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium and the Blue Hat Foundation are teaming up to increase awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screening through the Screening Madness event in which participants pledge to get screened and compete to get the most pledges for their Big Ten team.
• Fight Colorectal Cancer is hosting its annual Call on Congress kick-off as a virtual event on March 15 from 7:00-9:00 PM ET with Hill Days scheduled in June.
• The American Cancer Society South Region is hosting a free CME/CNE webinar on March 16th at 1:00 PM ET, Resuming Colorectal Cancer Screening During a Pandemic: Best Practices and Recommendations. Healthcare professionals from any region are invited to participate.
• The newly formed Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists is hosting its inaugural community event on March 23rd from 8:00-9:00 PM ET: ABGH Roundtable Series: Colorectal Cancer in the COVID-19 Era, a discussion on how to prevent, treat and beat colorectal cancer in the Black community in the COVID-19 era.
• The American Indian Cancer Foundation, an NCCRT member, is hosting the third annual Blue Beads Day on March 24th. From AICAF: Blue Beads Day is a national colorectal cancer awareness campaign for our families across Indian Country. Our team invites Native people of all ages to join us by wearing blue beadwork or clothing, and sharing photos on social media using the hashtag #BlueBeadsDay to raise awareness of CRC screening.

Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News

• In late February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released An Update on Cancer Deaths in the United States.
• Medicare loophole for screening colonoscopies is fixed — What does this mean for patients?describes how “After nearly a decade of tireless advocacy from our organizations’ staff and volunteers, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, nicknamed the “Medicare Loophole” bill, finally made it across the finish line.”
• Framework and Strategies to Eliminate Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening Outcomesevaluates strategies to eliminate preventable differences in colorectal cancer mortality across racial/ethnic, economic, geographic, and other groups.
• Specificity of the Multi-Target Stool DNA Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Average-Risk 45–49 Year-Olds: A Cross-Sectional Study shares findings on the specificity of the multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test in an average-risk screening population of 45 to 49 year-olds.