Recent news from the American Cancer Society shows a 50 percent relative decline in colorectal cancer death rates from 6 percent to 3 percent. Local experience at Stamford Hospital ’s Bennett Cancer Center presents an even more optimistic picture. The 16-year-old community cancer center surpassed national statistics for early diagnosis and survival rates of its late-stage colorectal cancer patients.
Specifically, physicians and administrators at the Bennett Cancer Center learned that it had:
· Higher Diagnosis Rates during the First Stage of Colorectal Cancer. Stamford Hospital diagnosed 27 percent of its colorectal cancer patients in Stage I. The national average was slightly lower at 20 percent.
· Higher Survival Rates for Stage III Patients. Stamford Hospital ’s Stage III patients had a 74 percent five-year survival rate while the national average hovered at a much lower 56 percent.
· Better Outcomes also for Stage IV Patients. In Stage IV, Stamford Hospital ’s patients had an 18 percent five-year survival rate, far exceeding the national average of 9 percent.
“We are very pleased to learn that our efforts to detect and treat colorectal cancer are either on par with or exceed the national average,” said Liz Manfredo, Cancer Services Administrator at Stamford Hospital ’s Bennett Cancer Center . “Reviewing our case histories was important for us to see how our program compared with the rest of the country. It is extremely gratifying to learn that we are on the right path. We intend to continue expanding our program.”
Manfredo stated that the better-than-average outcomes occurred for a combination of reasons, including: a multidisciplinary program specifically for colorectal cancer patients, in which dedicated physicians customize treatment programs for each patient; the availability of advanced radiation and chemotherapy treatments and technologies; access to the latest experimental treatments through the Bennett Cancer Center’s clinical trials program ; ongoing community education and awareness programs to promote proactive screening; as well as physician referrals to gastroenterologists for screenings.
Manfredo also cited the awareness brought about by Katie Couric as well as national advertising campaigns, which promote early screening for both men and women. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in this country –approximately one in every 17 Americans, almost 6 percent, will acquire this disease. Colon cancer cases are more prevalent than rectal cancer, about three times as much. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1,200 Connecticut residents were estimated to have developed colorectal cancer in 2006.
Approximately 5 – 10 percent of affected persons have a hereditary predisposition to colorectal and related cancers. Manfredo said that, because this type of cancer is considered hereditary, the Bennett Cancer Center launched the state’s first and only Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry last year. She credits the registry and the hospital’s Cancer Genetic Counseling program as one of the reasons for the higher-than-average, early-stage detection rates. The registry was created to understand the implications of having a family history of cancer, facilitate important research, and inform and educate individuals and families at risk.
Stamford Hospital is a not-for-profit provider of comprehensive healthcare services in lower Fairfield County and the region. The mission of Stamford Hospital is to provide, together with its physicians, a broad range of high quality health and wellness services focused on the needs of our communities. Stamford Hospital is a Magnet Hospital and a member of the Planetree Alliance, a group of hospitals nationwide focused on patient-centered care. Stamford Hospital is affiliated with New York Presbyterian Health System and is a major teaching affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
