Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States and one of the most preventable and treatable cancers. In 2010, an estimated 142,570 newly CRC cases were diagnosed and approximately 51,370 CRC related deaths were recorded. Evidence supports a 91% treatment success rate if detected early meaning that nearly 30,000 to 44,000 lives per year could be saved if all adults 50 years and older were screened for CRC. The impact of primary care providers on patients’ screening behavior is vital to improving the rates of CRC screening in primary care. Barriers must be identified and understood, interventions developed and implemented to attain higher CRC screening rates.
