Screening for Colorectal Cancer at the Worksite

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the United States. To increase statewide CRC screening rates, the Alabama Department of Public Health (through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Colorectal Cancer Control Program grant) partnered with The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and The University of South Alabama (USA) to provide free CRC screening opportunities to eligible University employees and dependents. Resources were invested at both universities to ensure participant education, tracking, and monitoring. In total, 86 fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) were distributed at the UAH campus and 62 were returned for testing; 146 FITs were distributed on the USA campus with 111 returned. Fecal immunochemical test return rates were over 70% at each site. Most notably, 21 positive FITs were identified among UAH participants and 25 at USA. Findings from both efforts suggest that employer-based screening initiatives are a systematic and replicable means of improving CRC screening.