March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

In conjunction with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) would like to remind healthcare professionals to raise awareness to their patients about colorectal cancer screenings.

Encourage your patients to make time for regular colorectal cancer screenings. It’s one of the most valuable ways they can protect their health and peace of mind. Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer among adults, but it often doesn’t show any symptoms, especially at first.

The good news is that the survival rate for colorectal cancer is about 90% when it’s caught early, before it’s had the chance to spread. Regular screenings are the number one way to detect it, but many adults who need screenings don’t get them. Making these important tests a priority is about your patients staying healthy and strong for the ones they love.

The American Cancer Society[1] recommends that most adults have regular colorectal cancer screenings from age 45 to age 75. Talk to your patients about when and how often they should be tested and what kind of screening is right for them.

You and your Empire patients have access to high-quality, low-cost colorectal cancer screening fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits by Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics. If you have specific questions, contact the labs directly:

• Labcorp: FIT test, 888-LABCORP (888-522-2677) or labcorp.com/cancer/colorectal/providers
• Quest Diagnostics: InSure ONE^TM kit, 866-MY-QUEST (866-697-8378) or https://clinical.QuestDiagnostics.com/QuestInSureONE

To find Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics and other participating labs in your patient’s plan network, select Find Care from the Provider Resources menu at https://www.empireblue.com/provider.

[1] Colorectal Cancer Guideline | How Often to Have Screening Tests