Nashville, Tenn., (April 11, 2007) – If doctors told their patients how to prevent one of the deadliest cancers, would their patients follow their advice? According to a recent poll, the answer is yes.
Sixty-nine percent of those who had not had a colonoscopy said they would be influenced to have one if their doctor recommended it.
“This means the opportunity to prevent colon cancer in America is to make sure primary care physicians are getting the message across to their patients over 50,” Bergein F. Overholt, medical director for AmSurg Corp, which commissioned the study, and a practicing gastroenterologist, said.
Additionally, the study showed that there is a great deal of confusion as to how deadly colon cancer is. Most did not realize it was the second highest cause of death from cancer.
“We not only have to get the message to patients,” Overholt said. “But we must send the right message: colonoscopy not only detects colon cancer, it can actually prevent colon cancer. Most appear to think this is just one more diagnostic test. They do not view it as something they can do to actively prevent colon cancer. We’re not telling them this message clearly or loudly enough.”
The survey indicated a general lack of urgency concerning colonoscopy. Of the participants who had not yet had a colon screening, 11 percent had not done so because their doctor hadn’t recommended it. In addition, fully one in four people (25%) gave no reason for not having the test. Another 16 percent did not think it was an important test and/or thought if they did not have family history, they did not need it.
“This inertia is killing people,” Overholt said. “Too many of our patients think that if they don’t have symptoms or a positive family history, they don’t need the test. The fact is, almost 80 percent of those who get colon cancer have no family history. And we all know that if they wait until they present symptoms, their cancer is already in an advanced stage.”
The good news from the survey is that of those who had their colonoscopy, an impressive 79 percent said they were “more willing” to do it again. Often, fear of results and concern about the preparation are reasons patients express to doctors for not having the test or putting it off.
Seventy-one percent of those who had not had a colonoscopy viewed the procedure as unpleasant but they’d do it for their health, while 8 percent viewed it as a “walk in the park.” Adversely, 39 percent of respondents who had experienced the procedure felt it was a “walk in the park.” The number of people who had a colonoscopy and said they would only do it again if “their life depended on it” was in the single digits.
Additional findings of the study include:
- Only 20 percent of all respondents in the survey think that colon cancer is the second highest cancer causing death in the United States.
- 51 percent of respondents between ages 50-59 reported having had a colonoscopy.
- Of those who had not had a colonoscopy, 50 percent said they are unlikely to have the procedure within the next six months.
- Only 64 percent of all respondents said they already had a colonoscopy and 70 percent of those either had a physician recommend the procedure or the patient themselves requested it from their physician as a baseline screening.
Commissioned by AmSurg Corp., results are based on a national opinion poll that included 804 adults, ages 50+, and was conducted during February, 2007, by Prince Market Research, an independent marketing research firm. The sample was controlled to achieve an equal mix of females and males. The margin of error for the overall results is +/- 3.5%. The full set of research results can be found on the AmSurg website: www.AmSurg.com.
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ABOUT AMSURG (NASDAQ: AMSG)
AmSurg Corp. develops, acquires, and manages ambulatory surgery centers, primarily single specialty, in partnership with physicians. As of Dec. 31, 2006, AmSurg owned a majority interest in 156 centers in operation (104 single-specialty GI) and had five centers under development.
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