Many Americans would rather file their taxes than get a colonoscopy, survey reveals

More than two-thirds of Americans would rather file their taxes than get a cancer-detecting colonoscopy, even though more than half don't know that screening should begin at age 45, a national survey shows.

What’s more, 57% of those surveyed said they didn’t know that colorectal cancer screenings can prevent cancer by removing precancerous polyps. In that group, nearly all said they would have undergone a test if they had known it could help stop cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in American men and women. More than 154,000 Americans will develop colorectal cancer in 2025, the American Cancer Society says. Of those, an estimated 52,000 will die from it.

For National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a survey in January for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance gauged the attitudes and awareness of 1,000 Americans about colorectal cancer screenings. Here’s what it found.

Survey: Which would you rather do?

The survey gives a glimpse into the mindset of Americans toward medical procedures designed to combat colorectal cancer, which are cells that start growing out of control in the colon and rectum.

The findings “reveal a life-threatening gap in public awareness of colorectal cancer,” Dr. Christopher Lieu, medical oncologist and adviser to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, said in a statement.

Though colon cancer usually develops in older adults, it can happen to those of any age, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Survey: Why would you decide not to get screened for colorectal cancer?

The disease has decreased in Americans 50 and older since the early 1990s, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, recent studies indicate "an alarming and continued increase" in colorectal cancer in adults younger than 50.

Survey: Which of these do you know to be true about colonoscopies?

That trend has doctors recommending colon cancer screenings at age 45 instead of 50.

Survey: How likely are you to be screened for colorectal cancer in the next year?

“Colorectal cancer is the second-deadliest cancer among men and women, and incidence is rising in younger people," Lieu said. "It’s imperative that everyone understands the importance of screening and makes it a priority, so more lives can be saved.” 

Survey: How likely would you be to get a colonoscopy if it could prevent you from getting colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer starts with small clumps of cells called polyps, a type of tissue growth that develops on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. They can vary in size from less than a quarter-inch in diameter to several inches, according to the Yale School of Medicine.

They're commonly found in older people of all ethnicities. About 15% to 40% of adults may have polyps, Yale Medicine says, and they become more common as people age.

Though few polyps become cancerous, most have the potential to do so, the Cleveland Clinic says. Colonoscopies remove polyps before they cause cancer.

You may not think you have polyps because they often don't cause symptoms. That's why doctors recommend regular screening.

Survey: What would persuade you to get a colonoscopy?

What procedures are used to screen for colorectal cancer?

The American Cancer Society lists these tests:

• Colonoscopy: A thin, flexible tube with a camera called a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum to examine the entire colon for polyps or cancer. The patient is sedated.
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy: It's the same as a colonoscopy, but only the lower part of the colon is checked. A shorter period of sedation is required.
• Stool-based test: Fecal samples are tested for small amounts of blood.
• Virtual colonoscopy: A computed tomography (CT) scan is used to create 3D images of the colon.

How was the colonoscopy survey done?

The survey by Wakefield Research on Jan. 24-29 involved 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18 and older using a recruited nonprobability online panel with profiled respondents and a double opt-in registration system, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance said. Respondents were invited via email to participate in the survey, based on the information available on each person.

The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. 

SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; Colorectal Cancer Alliance; American Cancer Society; America Medical Association; Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic