Study: Few Navajos are screened for cancer

Friday, November 30, 2007  

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in Indian Country but few members of the Navajo Nation are screened for it, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Arizona Cancer Center surveyed nearly 200,000 Navajos about cancer. They found a general awareness of the need for colorectal cancer screenings.

But few actually received the screenings. At two tribal fairs, only 16 percent -- typically women in their 40s -- said they had been screened for colorectal cancer. At two Indian Health Service hospitals, only 30 percent said they had been screened.

Cancer accounts for about 18 percent of deaths in Indian Country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is the top killer.

Get the Story:
Cancer education not reaching tribe (The Salt Lake Tribune 11/30)

CDC Report:
Deaths: Leading Causes for 2004 (November 20, 2007)

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