Early screening is best

November 18, 2009 – The Ministry of Health plans to pilot a colorectal cancer screening programme for Singaporeans over 50 years old in the next few months. The reason for this is because the colorectal cancer screening rates are “too low”, said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan at the opening ceremony of SGH’s International Colorectal Congress. Among those aged between 50 and 70, only one in nine men has done a colonoscopy at least once. For women, it is one in 13. “We must work harder to get more Singaporeans screened regularly and to pick up colorectal cancer early in order to save lives,” said the Minister.

Every year, about 1,500 new cases are diagnosed and as the risk goes up significantly after the age of 50, he expects many more new cases as our population ages. But he added, the survival rate has improved over the years. In 1973, only one in three patients with early stage colorectal cancer survived after five years. Today, the survival rate has more than doubled thanks to improvements in surgery, adjuvant technology and chemotherapy. However, “this is good but not good enough,” said the Minister. The current five-year survival rate in Singapore is below the average of countries comprising the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. “We are behind Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the US. One major reason is that 60 percent of our colorectal cancers are picked up too late and at more advanced stages, leading to poor survival,” said Minister Khaw.

(PHOTO CREDIT: MALE DOCTOR © Chiyacat | Dreamstime.com)