New Interactive 80% in Every Community Strategic Plan

In March 2020, the NCCRT launched the 80% in Every Community Strategic Plan. This shared strategic plan provides a focused, action-oriented roadmap for stakeholders, collaborators, and cross-sectored partners in their efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. The plan offers a variety of recommended activities that any stakeholder can use to help define, prioritize, and accomplish their goals.

As we begin looking ahead to the 2021 80% in Every Community Conference & NCCRT Annual Meeting and as we aim to reignite the momentum of the 80% campaign, we are thrilled to be sharing our new interactive 80% in Every Community Strategic Plan!

The interactive version features all the content from the original plan, but further connects each focus area with resources from the NCCRT Resource Center as well as case studies from the NCCRT 80% Blog and past 80% in Every Community National Achievement Award winners. We hope you find this new tool easy to navigate, shareable, and valuable to your future planning efforts.

New Blog Post with the American Association of Medical Assistants, 2021 80% In Every Community National Achievement Award Honoree

Don’t miss the latest post on the 80% Blog featuring Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA and Nikki Hochschild, MBA, with the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards honoree. Learn how the AAMA partnered with the NCCRT to launch a year-long education initiative to inform and equip medical assistants to educate patients about the importance of colorectal cancer screening and to help patients overcome barriers to being appropriately screened. Congratulations again to the AAMA!

New Developments with the Proposed Addition of CRC Screening to the 2022 Medicaid Core Set

In May, the Medicaid Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup voted unanimously to recommend adding colorectal cancer screening as a quality measure the Child and Adult Core Sets for 2022. Yesterday, the 2022 Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup Final Report was released, another important step in the process of updating the 2022 measure set. The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services will now review the final report and release the final 2022 Child and Adult Core Sets by December 31, 2021.

Also released yesterday, From Research to Action: Advocating For A Medicaid Colorectal Cancer Screening Quality Performance Measure, a new blog post on the Health Affairs Blog, describes the screening disparities among Medicaid-insured adults and the power of measurement to move toward addressing inequities. Congratulations to coauthor, Beverly Green, MD, MPH, NCCRT Steering Committee member, and the many individuals that have worked tirelessly to advocate for the addition of this new measure.

Registration Open: Issue Hub #2: Strengthening public health and healthcare systems to advance cancer screening and care

The American Cancer Society (ACS) National Consortium is developing bold, but sensible recommendations toward the safe and equitable recovery of cancer screening and care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Register to participate on Thursday, September 9 from 1 to 2:30 PM ET as leading clinicians and researchers discuss vulnerabilities within our nation’s public health and healthcare systems that contributed to the decrease in cancer screening and care during the pandemic as well as the further exacerbation of inequities. Panelists will also explore and showcase concrete action steps that can be taken to build resilience in our public health and healthcare systems. These tangible solutions will not only prepare us for any ongoing or future disruptions to the delivery of cancer screening, diagnostics, and care, but will also aid in appropriately addressing persistent disparities. This webcast is free to attend and open to all.

Discussion objectives for the Issue Hub include:

• Understand where there are weaknesses and/or vulnerabilities in the US healthcare system that worsened outcomes in cancer screening and care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Identify steps for strengthening our healthcare systems to be better prepared and equipped to address future disruptions (e.g. pandemics, natural disasters, etc.).

Learn how some systems have successfully navigated cancer screening and care during the pandemic and improved outcomes.

2020 UDS Data on CRC Screening in FQHCs Now Available

On Monday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released the 2020 UDS (Uniform Data System) data for national Health Center Program awardees (federally qualified health centers). HRSA reported an overall colorectal cancer screening rate of 40.1% in 2020, which demonstrates a 10-percentage point increase since HRSA began tracking colorectal cancer screening as a UDS measure in 2012. However, this rate is down from the 2019 rate of 45.6%, no doubt reflective of the myriad of challenges health centers faced and continue to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in early 2020. Notably, despite these challenges, health centers screened 2,448,976 patients in 2020, close to the total number screened in 2018 (2,491,769).

The NCCRT would like to congratulate our partners at HRSA and the National Association for Community Health Centers (NACHC) for championing efforts to increase CRC screening among their grantee and member health centers partners. And most of all, we’d like to share a huge round of applause for the staff and providers at health centers for their persistence and innovation in working day in and day out to provide eligible patients with the opportunity to screen for this often preventable disease. Visit the HRSA website to learn more about the UDS measure and to find the UDS screening rate for health centers in your state. Visit NCCRT’s Data & Progress webpage to learn about our progress with other national measures.

Registration Open: Utilizing simulation modeling to inform cancer control responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

The American Cancer Society National Consortium to Improve Cancer Screening and Care will host a 90-minute webcast and discussion with leading investigators from the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) team to share the latest modeling findings on the impact of the pandemic on cancer screening/outcomes. Register to participate on August 18 from 12 to 1:30 PM ET for the session entitled, Utilizing simulation modeling to inform cancer control responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: What does the latest modeling research tell us about near- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer outcomes?

In June 2020, an editorial published in Science modeled the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screening and treatment for breast and colorectal cancer, estimating nearly 10,000 excess deaths from those cancers in the next decade. Since then, simulation models have been updated with new data on cancer screening volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest modeling research can improve our understanding of the effects the pandemic may have on cancer screening, care, and mortality.

This webcast is free to attend and open to all.

Fight Colorectal Cancer Announces Grant Opportunity

Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), an NCCRT member, announced the launch of the 2022-2023 application cycle for the Catalyst State-by-State Advocacy Program. The Catalyst Program provides funding along with technical assistance and support to coalitions working to advance state-level policy to increase access to colorectal cancer screening.

The application for the 2022-2023 grant cycle is open with all applications due at 11:59pm EST on August 20, 2021. Fight CRC is looking for applications from state coalitions, non-profit organizations (501(c)(3), 501(c)(4)), universities, and state governments who are currently working on policy to increase access to colorectal cancer screening or those who are looking to get involved in the work. Individuals not affiliated or supported by an entity listed above are not eligible for funding.

Key policy priorities include ensuring access to colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 (for those states where this is still relevant in light of updated USPSTF guidelines) and removing out-of-pocket costs for patients needing a colonoscopy following a positive non-invasive screening test. Other “big P” and “small p” policy solutions for increasing access to screening may also be considered.

Learn more about the Catalyst Program and apply by the deadline on August 20, 2021. Questions?

Contact Molly McDonnell, Director of Advocacy at Fight CRC, at molly@fightcrc.org.

Introducing the New NCCRT Learning Center!

We are excited to launch the NCCRT Learning Center, a digital learning platform which features courses, tools, and other resources on colorectal cancer screening delivery and research. Current educational offerings include:

• The Colonoscopy Needs Calculator—This tool estimates the number of colonoscopies your practice can realistically anticipate with a high-quality stool-based colorectal cancer screening program based on various screening rate goals and other data inputs. It also provides an estimation of what the total colonoscopy need would cost a system as well as a comparison between the costs of treating cancer and costs of providing colonoscopies.
• The Communications Education Portal—This course houses our suite of market research findings on the unscreened for colorectal cancer and messaging recommendations to more effectively develop communication campaigns and resources for unscreened populations. Learners can peruse the market research findings from start to finish or jump in to find just what you need to educate, empower, and mobilize those who are not getting screened for colorectal cancer.

We plan to populate the NCCRT Learning Center, a subsite of our main website, www.nccrt.org, with additional tools and learning modules over time. Users can create an account to track your progress, learn when new content is released, and access more courses as they become available.

New Blog Post with UCLA Health, 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Award Grand Prize Winner

Don’t miss the latest post on the 80% Blog featuring Dr. Folasade May of UCLA Health, our 2021 80% in Every Community National Achievement Award grand prize winner. Learn about the multifaceted approach Dr. May and her colleagues used to promote colorectal cancer screening, which allowed them to maintain a screening rate increase of 10 percentage points despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations again to UCLA Health, and many thanks to Dr. May for spending time with us to share how they achieved success!

NCI Relaunches RTIPs as Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs

In October 2020, NCI relaunched the Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) website with a new design and name – Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP).

The Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) website is a searchable database of behavioral, psychosocial, and policy programs, including profiles for 22 colorectal cancer screening-specific programs. The website also includes tools and materials that program planners and public health practitioners can use to help prevent cancer and support cancer survivors and their caregivers.

Reminder: Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Addition of CRC Screening to the 2022 Medicaid Core Set

In May 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.

The Workgroup’s draft report, Recommendations for Improving the Core Sets of Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid and CHIP: Summary of a Multistakeholder Review of the 2022 Child and Adult Core Sets, has now been released for public comment ahead of the final report and release of the final 2022 Core Sets by December 31, 2021.

Public comments may be submitted via email to MACCoreSetReview@mathematica-mpr.com by 8:00 PM ET on Friday, August 6, 2021. Please include “2022 Core Set Review Public Comment” in the subject line and specify whether you are commenting as an individual or on behalf of an organization.

Margaret Hitchcock and Stony Anderson of the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4) have generously offered to share a sample email developed to support the addition of the measure, which you are welcome to use and adapt.

Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News

• The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, jointly issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an update of rates for new cases and deaths as well as trends for the most common cancers in the United States.
• The latest issue of Preventive Medicine, From disruption to recovery: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Screening, is a special issue focused on COVID-19 and cancer screening with several articles on colorectal cancer screening.

2021 NCCRT Annual Meeting & 80% in Every Community Conference to go Virtual

We hope you are already saving the date for NCCRT’s 25th Annual Meeting and second 80% in Every Community Conference November 15-17, 2021, which will be held virtually again this year. While we will miss seeing you in person for the second year in a row, we are looking forward to bringing together even more colorectal cancer screening champions from across the country for three afternoons of dynamic presentations and discussions.

We are expanding our agenda to include more time for panels and concurrent sessions with national, regional, and local thought leaders, as well as more time for small group discussion and networking. Please hold the afternoons of November 15-17 from 1:00-4:30 PM ET and we will share the working agenda, registration, and more information in this newsletter and on the event webpage in the coming weeks.

NCCRT Welcomes a New Co-Director!

Kaitlin Sylvester, MPA, joins the NCCRT team as co-director, NCCRT – Programs and Partnerships. In this role, Kaitlin will primarily oversee and support the NCCRT Strategic Priority Teams, which includes building and maintaining key relationships with external partners, managing tasks and contributions of coalition members, and providing strategic input to guide projects to completion. Kaitlin will also lead the NCCRT’s activities in engaging and supporting comprehensive cancer control programs across the nation to prioritize colorectal cancer screening efforts. Previously, Kaitlin served as Senior Manager for Cancer Control Strategic Partnerships with the American Cancer Society in the South Region where she led a team charged with implementing state and system-based programs, initiatives, and events to advance prevention, early detection, and quality of life measures across the cancer continuum. Kaitlin received her Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Louisiana State University and currently serves on the Louisiana State University Department of Public Administration Advisory Board. In her spare time, Kaitlin enjoys running, baking bread and spending time with her husband and elderly dachshund. Kaitlin is located in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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

Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Addition of CRC Screening to the 2022 Medicaid Core Set

In May 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.

The Workgroup’s draft report, Recommendations for Improving the Core Sets of Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid and CHIP: Summary of a Multistakeholder Review of the 2022 Child and Adult Core Sets, has now been released for public comment ahead of the final report and release of the final 2022 Core Sets by December 31, 2021.

Public comments may be submitted via email to MACCoreSetReview@mathematica-mpr.com by 8:00 PM ET on Friday, August 6, 2021. Please include “2022 Core Set Review Public Comment” in the subject line and specify whether you are commenting as an individual or on behalf of an organization.

Thank you to the members of the NCCRT Policy Action Strategic Priority Team and partners that helped pave the way for this major milestone in tracking and reporting on CRC screening! Additionally, Margaret Hitchcock and Stony Anderson of the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4) have generously offered to share a sample email developed to support the addition of the measure, which you are welcome to use and adapt.

Upcoming NCCRT Member Events

• Registration is now open for the rescheduled Western CRC Consortium Conference (WC4) – Oct.14-15, 2021 (in person!) at UC Davis Conference Center. For all conference information, visit the event website. The Agenda is located under the Schedule link.
• The American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic are partnering to host a free webinar on early age onset colorectal cancer on July 13, 2021 from 1:15-2:00 PM ET. Lisa A. Boardman, MD, will cover updates to national guidelines for patients at average risk, review criteria for earlier screening for patients at higher risk and discuss different approaches to t
• reatment based on early onset and how these cancers have been staged.

Relevant Journal Articles, Publications, & Other News

• Congratulations to former NCCRT Steering Committee member and current Community Health Centers Strategic Priority Team co-chair Jim Hotz, MD, MACP, for his recent recognition as the recipient of the American College of Physician’s 2020-2021 Ralph O. Claypoole Sr. Memorial Award for Devotion of a Career in Internal Medicine to the Care of Patients.
• Sugar-sweetened beverage intake in adulthood and adolescence and risk of early-onset colorectal cancer among women, published in the journal Gut, found that higher sugar-sweetened beverage intake in adulthood and adolescence was associated with a higher risk of early onset colorectal cancer among women. The New York Times also reported on the story.
• Findings from a study led by NCCRT Steering Committee member Beverly Green, MD, MPH, A Centralized Program with Stepped Support Increases Adherence to Colorectal Cancer Screening Over 9 Years: a Randomized Trial, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that an outreach program that included mailed fecal tests and phone follow-up led to increased adherence to colorectal cancer testing and fewer age-eligible individuals without any colorectal cancer testing over nine years.
• A recent Stat News story, Chadwick Boseman’s tragedy is America’s tragedy: In colorectal cancer hot spots, young men are dying at higher rates, describes recent research on “hot spots” for early onset colorectal cancer mortality and trends in later stage diagnosis for Black men.
• A recent article in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Screening for Colorectal Cancer in the United States: Correlates and Time Trends by Type of Test, found that after age-standardization to the 2010 census population, the percentage up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening increased from 61.2% in 2015 to 65.3% in 2018, driven by increased use of stool testing.
• In Cancer Screenings Are Still Lagging, updated EHR data from Epic Health Research Network finds colorectal cancer screenings were 25% below historical baselines between March 2020 and March 2021, which equates to an estimated 249,000 missed screenings.
• A new study finds evidence for adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on declines in cancer detection and surgical treatments, including colorectal cancer detection. Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic with Patterns of Statewide Cancer Services, appearing in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, finds a 10.2% decline in real-time electronic pathology reports from population-based cancer registries in 2020 compared with those in 2019.
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Update and Computed Tomography for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Privately Insured Population, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found the release of supportive evidence-based recommendations by a recognized credible body was associated with an immediate increase in computed tomography colonography use for colorectal cancer screening in the privately insured population.

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

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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.