One of the reasons some people avoid colon-cancer screening is lack of insurance coverage for the test. In 2007, the state of Washington passed a law mandating that colon-cancer screening be covered by all insurers for people 50 and older and those who are at high risk. This is an important step in eliminating the financial barrier that might prevent people from seeking a lifesaving procedure.

“As the Hutchinson Center’s mission is to eliminate cancer as a cause of human suffering and death, we see the passage and enactment of this bill as a major advancement in the fight against colon cancer,” said Dr. Lee Hartwell, president and director of the Hutchinson Center and a staunch advocate for awareness and research relating to early cancer detection.

In 2008, approximately 50,000 Americans will die of colon cancer, including nearly 1,000 in Washington. Most of these deaths could be prevented through regular colon-cancer screening. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center applauds the bipartisan panel of legislators that sponsored and voted for this bill, as well as Gov. Christine Gregoire who signed it into law, and encourages more states to adopt similar lifesaving legislation.