Going the extra mile to tackle colorectal cancer disparities

The other day, I heard a story that was so encouraging.

A community health worker with Lifespan had reached out to a Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island member who was overdue for a colorectal cancer screening. After being presented with screening information and options, our member asked to be sent a $0 at-home testing kit.

However, during a follow-up call, the member said the kit never arrived. That’s when the community health worker drove the kit right to the appreciative member’s door. 

This personal approach made the difference for our member, who can now be screened for a highly preventable and treatable cancer. And it showed the power of our partnership with the Lifespan Community Health Institute, which is experienced in connecting with underserved populations. The story of this member is only one example of how they are helping us reach Rhode Island’s communities of color and remove barriers to colorectal screening.

Colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults. Some states want to boost awareness.

We’re just beginning to see early progress from our partnership, and this story really brought home for me the promise of what we can accomplish in community health in our small state, where we can treat each other as neighbors. This kind of collaboration is exactly what is needed to prevent deaths from colorectal cancer, which the American Cancer Society reports is:

• The second most common cause of death from cancer
• Increasingly impacting younger people
• Disproportionately impacting Black Americans, who are 20% more likely to get diagnosed with and 40% more likely to die from this disease

We shouldn’t accept this, and we’re not. 

In 2023, when we reviewed our member data on colorectal cancer screenings, what we found was concerning. Our overall screening rate was just 71%. And while the rate for whites was 76%, it was just 69% for Blacks and 68% for Hispanics.

This realization spurred us to launch a bold goal to get 80% of our members ages 45 to 75 screened by the end of 2025 — and to cut in half the disparities in our racial and ethnic screening rates.

To achieve this goal, we partnered with the Lifespan Community Health Institute. Their staff provides valuable support, reminding members they’re due for screening and knocking down the barriers that often stand in the way of getting tested. 

We understand not everyone has the resources to schedule a colonoscopy or arrange transportation to an appointment, let alone the ability to take time away from work or family responsibilities to complete the prep and procedure. With those concerns in mind, the community health workers, when appropriate, offer the option of $0 at-home tests. While not as comprehensive as a colonoscopy, at-home tests are safe, convenient, and private initial screenings. The team also helps with critical follow-up care if at-home tests come back positive. 

And as the story I heard illustrates so well, they literally go the extra mile to make getting screened easier for our members.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and if you’re 45 or older, I encourage you to make sure you’re up to date on your screening. And if you’re younger, please check in with your parents and grandparents about their screenings. When this disease is caught early, we can save lives.

My grandmother died of colon cancer when she was just 62, eight years before the colonoscopy procedure was developed. She died long before I was born. Since that time, colorectal cancers have declined for older Americans because of the invention of the colonoscopy. Unfortunately, we are now seeing a disturbing rise in diagnoses for those under 55, which is why the recommended age for screening was lowered to 45. 

The good news is that we know how to prevent deaths from colorectal cancer and if we work together, we can do it.