ACCCBUZZ BLOG

October is liver cancer awareness month, a disease that is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the cancer screening rate. While telemedicine has facilitated care delivery, there is a need for programs aimed at promoting screening. This understanding prompted Mercy Medical Center-Cedar Rapids, Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Iowa to launch a initiative that has excelled in increasing their colorectal screening rates, and facilitated the provision of high-quality care in the community.

The US has seen a steady decline in the overall incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) during the past several decades. In 1975, 60 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer; by 2018, that number had fallen to 34. But overall trends in CRC incidence and outcomes often differ among racial groups and geographic locations. Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with CRC than White Americans and more likely to die from it. CRC mortality rates in American Indian and Alaska Native populations have stubbornly stayed put.

To help address the ongoing prevalence of colorectal cancer, ACCC is inviting its members to submit proposals for quality improvement initiatives in treating metastatic forms of this cancer.

I see the liver cancer heatmap being used as a source of networking between institutions and as a way to help patients find a medical facility to help navigate their care closer to home.