Mar 5, 2009 6:07 pm US/Central
Ranking States On Colon Cancer Treatment
(CBS News)
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women in this country, killing nearly 50,000 people annually.
But when detected early, it can be successfully treated the vast majority of the time.
The results of the 2009 Colorectal Cancer Screening Legislation Report Card were recently released. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports that for the first time since it was first issued six years ago, the report shows that more states have received an A than a failing grade for their colon cancer screening laws. Twenty-one states, plus D.C., got an A, and 19 have gotten an F.
And what a difference a grade can make.
Sixty-year-old Catherine Murray-Rust plays tennis, goes ballroom dancing, and has even run two marathons since Moving to Atlanta last summer. But now, she's been on a different kind of marathon -- one that's a lot more grueling.
"It changes your perspective on life significantly," Murray-Rust said. "Every day becomes much more important to you."
Back in Colorado in 2006, she wanted to get a routine colonoscopy, which is generally recommended starting at age 50. She called her insurance company.
"I asked if they would cover a colonoscopy and they asked me whether it was preventative or diagnostic," Murray-Rust said. "I said it was preventative. And they said, 'in which case, we won't pay for it.'"
She delayed the $3,000 test. Then last August, when she moved to Atlanta to head up the Georgia Tech University library, she decided she'd waited long enough.
"It probably was a bad thing that I held out quite so long," Murray-Rust said.
She was happy to learn that the same company that denied coverage in Colorado would pay for the exam in Georgia - but the results were devastating.
"When they did the surgery on January 5, the pathology report from that surgery confirmed that I had early Stage 3 colon cancer," she said.
What was the life or death difference between Georgia and Colorado?
Georgia, which received an A in the colon cancer report card, has a law requiring that insurance companies pay for the most comprehensive colon cancer screening. States receiving an F have no requirements, which should make their residents ask questions.
"Why do I live in a state that doesn't allow me standard of care, providing colon cancer screening, which we know not only saves money, but more importantly saves lives?," said Dr. David A. Johnson, professor of medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, of the questions that residents in F states should ask.
Murray-Rust's cancer spread to two of her lymph nodes, and now she's getting chemotherapy.
"It's extremely difficult for one's health and for one's family," she said. "It's a hard thing, especially as 90 percent of colon cancers can be prevented if you catch them early.
On a bittersweet note, Colorado became an A state this year, which means an insurance company must cover a colonoscopy if a doctor orders one.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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