The Legislature of the State of Rhode Island has addressed a large number of issues to improve cancer care, cancer prevention and detection, and general awareness of the importance of these issues for the people in the state.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Rhode Island. We have a 34% higher death rate than the national average in men and 21% higher than the national average in women here in Rhode Island. In the last session, the Legislature passed a law requiring all health insurers to provide coverage for screening for colorectal cancer. Every man and woman in Rhode Island over the age of 50 should be tested on a regular basis. Sigmoidoscopy and/or colonoscopy can detect small polyps even before they are transformed into cancers and these can be removed at the time of the examination. This will prevent colorectal cancers from developing. Already established cancers that are discovered can be removed before they become deeply invasive. These cancers have a cure rate of over 90%. Once a cancer of the colon has become established by invading through the wall of the colon or rectum, the chances of success fall precipitously. The new legislation makes cancer of the colon and rectum detection and prevention readily available to everyone with medical insurance in Rhode Island.

The Legislature also requires health insurers in Rhode Island to cover screening for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer in men. It is readily treated so that the number of deaths from prostate cancer is relatively small. Every man over the age of 50 should have a simple blood test (PSA) and a digital rectal examination (DRE) on an annual basis. Because prostate cancer clusters in families, men who have relatives with prostate cancer – father, brother, uncle – should start having their PSA and DRE at an earlier age. These screening tests are now available to all men with health insurance in Rhode Island.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancers, primarily because it is difficult to find at an early stage so that most cases are already advanced at the time of diagnosis. Women with a family history of ovarian cancer are at higher risk of developing the disease and for these women especially, but all women as well, careful gynecological examination including annual pelvic examination, ultrasound examination, and blood test for a CA125 are important to discover the disease in an early and curable stage. The State Legislature has requested that the Rhode Island Cancer Council initiate a statewide educational program to increase awareness of ovarian cancer.

Last year the Legislature urged all the cities and towns in Rhode Island to develop municipally controlled task forces working with the Rhode Island Cancer Council, the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the American Cancer Society, to promote cancer education, prevention, and early detection of cancer. The Rhode Island Cancer Council, with their partners, will provide information so that this program can be implemented throughout the State of Rhode Island. One of our objectives is to encourage every city and town to provide an half-day each year for all their staff to get cancer screenings including mammography, colorectal screening, PAP smears and pelvic examinations, PSA and digital rectal examination as well as careful skin assessment so that the important cancers can be detected in their earliest forms when they are still curable. This cancer detection and prevention program for all municipal workers can set an important example for all workplaces in the State.

Over a decade ago the Legislature established a statewide Cancer Registry. All cancers that occur in people in the State of Rhode Island are recorded in a central data file which includes patient's age, sex, and the stage of disease. This information is provided by every hospital in the state. We have an agreement with Connecticut and Massachusetts that information on patients with Rhode Island addresses are sent to the Rhode Island Cancer Registry so that the data is complete. This gives us the opportunity to follow cancer trends and to direct attention to problem areas. The Hospital Association of Rhode Island manages the Cancer Registry. The data is analyzed on a regular basis by the Department of Health. In the next year, the Rhode Island Cancer Council will post information on our website from the Cancer Registry in layman's terms so that it can be understood and used not only by health care providers but by the general public as well.

(Part 2 of a two-part series - Click here for Part 1)

For more information and answers to specific questions contact the Rhode Island Cancer Council at Tel@ricancercouncil.org or call us at (401) 728-4800 or toll free 866-879-4100.

IT IS EASIER TO PREVENT CANCER THAN TO TREAT IT.

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