And colon cancer screening rates present a mixed picture. In 2010, 59 percent of adults aged 50 and older were screened for colon cancer, but screening rates remain much lower among uninsured and poorer people. Currently, only 28 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation ensuring coverage for colon cancer screening, the report noted.
Schnabel noted that any efforts to increase overall screening rates would make a difference in cancer death rates.
"There are effective methods to screen for cervical cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer," Schnabel noted. "More widespread uptake of these screening strategies could alter the outcomes for these cancers in a very significant way."
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer prevention.
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