SCR 66 Summary

• Designates March 2010 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in California

• Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in California with 14,160 new cases and 5,080 deaths expected in 2010, but is preventable and treatable when detected early with 90 percent five-year survival rates

• Early detection screening rates are disparately low among uninsured, underinsured, and underserved populations, as well as among African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Asian and Pacific Islander communities in California

• Proper screening including colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood tests could reduce colorectal cancer death rates up to 80 percent and is more cost-effective than breast or prostate cancer screening

• Recognizes the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition's efforts to increase screening rates and reduce healthcare disparities in colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment