Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program
What is it?
- A statewide program unanimously created by the General Assembly in 2008 that provides colon cancer screening to impoverished, uninsured Kentuckians ages 50-64 and implements an educational campaign to motivate all Kentuckians over age 50 to be screened.
What is House Bill 275?
- House Bill 275 appropriates $8 million over the biennium to fund and implement the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program.
What would an appropriate investment by the General Assembly do? 
- Create a two-year program in local health departments to allow more than 10,000 uninsured people to be screened for colon cancer.
- Save money by avoiding late-stage cancer treatment costs.
- Fund Kentucky Cancer Program initiatives that would educate all Kentuckians on colon cancer risks, symptoms and screening and motivate them to be screened.
- Save lives.
Why should you care?
- Colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Kentucky among non-smokers. Each year, it kills more than 800 Kentuckians; another 2,700 are diagnosed with it.
- Colon cancer is highly preventable. When found early, colon cancer has an 85% to 95% cure rate.1
- Screening allows for early detection and reduces treatment costs. Costs for early treatment are about $30,000 per patient; for late stage treatment, it is an estimated $120,000 per patient.2
- Colon cancer screening will save Kentucky money. Colorado’s successful screening program is proof: The state invested $10 million over three years and saved approximately $15 million by avoiding late-stage cancer treatment costs. Funds invested in screening provide a return of investment of approximately 1.5:1.
- Colon cancer screening is cost-effective. It has a cost-effectiveness ratio of $10,000 to $25,000 per life-year saved.2 If a state spent $12.5 million on screening and treatment over five years, between 100 and 250 deaths would be prevented. This ratio is similar to or better than that of other important health screenings, including mammography.3
What should state legislators do?
- Demonstrate leadership by sponsoring voting for funding for the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program.
