Researchers from the American Cancer Society reviewed National Health Interview Survey data to measure screening rates from 2019, 2021 and 2023 for their analysis.
Here are five things to know from their findings:
- Colorectal cancer screening increased 12% and breast cancer screening increased 7% between 2019 and 2023.
Cervical cancer screening remained 14% below rates from 2019, neither increasing or decreasing between 2021 and 2023.
- Increased colorectal screening rates were driven largely by socioeconomic status.
Colorectal cancer screening increased 17% between 2019 and 2023 for college graduates, but rates did not “significantly change” among individuals with a high school diploma or less.
- An 8% increase in cervical cancer screening was reported among college graduates between 2021 and 2023, though screening remained below 2019 levels for most other education levels.
- Breast cancer screening rates increased across groups of varying education levels between 2019 and 2023, with a significant rebound of 10% to 28% seen between 2021 and 2023.
- Insurance coverage was also a factor in breast and colorectal screening increases.
Breast and colorectal cancer screening increased by 6% to 15% between 2019 and 2023 among individuals with private insurance and/or Medicare, with no significant change seen among individuals without insurance.
Cervical cancer screening remained low across coverage groups.
“It’s imperative that we continue to advocate for returns to cervical cancer screening,” Jessica Star, lead author of the study and associate scientist in cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, said in a March 5 news release from the organization. “Efforts must also address the widening disparities in all cancer screenings by socioeconomic status.”
Read the full study here.