Colorectal Cancer Screening Knowledge And Awareness On The Navajo Reservation

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Article Date: 03 Dec 2007 - 6:00 PDT

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Some minority populations in the United States are so isolated from mainstream cancer awareness efforts, they seem like separate nations unto themselves - a literal distinction for Navajo Indians. In the first-ever assessment of cancer awareness among members of the Navajo Nation, researchers at the University of Arizona Cancer Center have determined that cancer education efforts have not reached the tribe, particularly with regard to colorectal cancer (CRC).

With funding from the National Cancer Institute, the study leader, Priscilla Sanderson, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and herself a Navajo, has undertaken an extensive review of attitudes toward cancer among the nearly 200,000 members of the Navajo Nation who live in the Navajo Reservation, an area of land that occupies most of northeastern Arizona as well as parts of New Mexico and Utah.

To establish a baseline of colorectal cancer awareness, Sanderson surveyed Navajo at tribal fairs and health centers and held focus groups of tribal elders. "Results of our studies show that awareness and interest in colorectal rectal cancer screening among the Navajo Nation is present," Sanderson said.

"However, the proportion of those reporting undergoing CRC screening is much lower than the national average, and that may have a direct effect upon cancer survival."

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States, with over 150,000 new cases of CRC each year. Since CRC is most common in older adults, doctors generally recommend that every man and woman be regularly screened after age 50. If caught early, CRC has a 50 percent five-year survival rate. According to Sanderson, hard data on CRC incidence among Navajo is not conclusive, but rates are actually thought to be somewhat lower than in other ethnic groups in the United States.

"Part of the problem involves public health resources, but there is a definite cultural component that has inadvertently stood in the way of cancer awareness," Sanderson said.

One example given by Sanderson is that many Navajo - especially the older members of the tribe - do not speak English as a primary language. In surveying elder tribal members, Sanderson found that 47 percent spoke only Navajo, while none spoke English as a primary language.

The fact that the Navajo language lacks a specific word for cancer might be a conceptual barrier for some, Sanderson says. When discussing cancer, Navajo typically use the phrase, "Łood doo náziihii," which literally means "the sore/wound that does not heal." "It is difficult to assess a person's understanding of cancer if you lack a common vocabulary," Sanderson said.

While the study's ongoing surveys and focus groups have not yet captured the entire picture of CRC awareness among the Navajo Nation, Sanderson believes the information she has developed so far can serve as a baseline by which to judge future efforts in raising cancer awareness. At two annual tribal festivals on the Navajo Reservation, only 16 percent of survey respondents, who were typically women in their forties, had reported ever having been screened for CRC. Surveys conducted at two Indian Health Service hospitals in 2007, however, showed that while 55 percent of participants had heard about CRC screening, only 30 percent had ever had a screen themselves. Among elder tribal members queried during focus groups, nearly half had never had a colorectal screen, Sanderson says.

According to Sanderson, ongoing research is beginning to uncover a solid baseline for cancer knowledge among the Navajo Nation. "With this information, we can build a CRC screening campaign based upon cultural needs of this distinct population," Sanderson said. "It can also be a foundation for further research into cancer health disparities on the Navajo Reservation."

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; healthcare professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Abstract no. B-38

Source: Greg Lester American Association for Cancer Research