The Impact of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) in Mississippi, and the need for Mississippi to Eliminate its CRC Burden.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC), while highly preventable and highly treatable, is a major public health problem in Mississippi. This article reviews solutions to this problem, beginning with the relationship between modifiable behavioral risk factors and CRC incidence. It then describes the impact of CRC screening on national downward trends in CRC incidence and mortality and summarizes recent data on the burden of CRC in Mississippi. While other states have created Comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Control Programs in an organized effort to manage this public health problem, Mississippi has not. Responding to Mississippi's situation, the 70x2020 Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative arose as an unconventional approach to increase CRC screening rates throughout the state. This article concludes by considering the current limits of CRC treatment success and proposes that improved clinical outcomes should result from research to translate recently-identified colorectal cancer subtype information into novel clinical paradigms for the treatment of early-stage colorectal cancer.