Info all Articles

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Although studies prove that screening reduces colorectal cancer morbidity and mortality and is recommended for everyone over the age of 50, only 60 percent of Americans have been screened.

Penn Medicine’s West Philadelphia Gastrointestinal (GI) Health Outreach and Access Program has worked to to improve the colorectal cancer screening rates in the West Philadelphia community.

Founded in November 2011 with seed funding from an anonymous donor, the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania established the program, which provides education about colorectal cancer screening and physical navigation through the screening process for people who live in the following zip codes:

• 19104
• 19131
• 19139
• 19143
• 19151

Patient navigator, Alicia Lamanna, works with patients on a one-on-one basis and addresses barriers that might prevent them from getting a screening test. She also ensures patients understand the information by using language that is easy to comprehend.

Assisting patients every step of the way

The patient navigation program is committed to providing every patient the assistance and encouragement they need throughout the entire screening process.

The program provides the following:

• Help with scheduling a colonoscopy
• Education about the screening including literature, instructions for the screening preparation and motivational information
• Encouragement and support
• Reminder phone calls about the screening appointment
• Instructions for the day of screening
• Miralax-Dulcolax-Crystal Light prep free of charge
• Transportation assistance with Septa tokens
• Accompaniment to and from the screening exam

Finally, one week after the procedure, Alicia, communicates the physician's findings and recommendations both verbally and in writing to everyone who participates in the screening.

To qualify for the program patients must:

1. Be between the ages of 50 and 75
2. Live in one of the five participating West Philadelphia zip codes
3. Have an order or prescription for a colonoscopy from your Penn primary care physician

Whether the reasons are financial, insurance or personal — such as being embarrassed or nervous — that keep someone from getting a colorectal screening, the outreach program provides the assistance needed to obtain this life-saving screening.

Patient Navigation Works

A study to determine the feasibility, acceptability and use of the program was recently completed.

Of the 125 patients who completed a screening colonoscopy through this program, 46 (37%) were found to have at least one adenomatous (precancerous) polyp and 3 patients were found to have cancer 1 primary colorectal cancer, 1 metastatic breast cancer, 1 currently unknown origin (unpublished data). These results show that this program has great potential to prevent colorectal cancer.

In addition, satisfaction with the program has been high, with 92% strongly agreeing with the statement: “Overall, I am satisfied with the navigation services I received from the navigator.”

In addition, 36% of the patients who completed the program stated they would have been, “highly unlikely to have completed the colonoscopy without the patient navigator.”

Get More Information

For more information about the program and preventing colorectal cancer, visit the 2012 CANPrevent Colorectal Cancer Conference from the Abramson Cancer Center, or call Alicia Lamanna at 215-439-8281.

As an American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer accredited Center, Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center is pleased to share these results with the public.