Abstract 4959: Hearing Status and Colorectal Cancer Screening: Identifying Access Barriers

Background: Early detection through colorectal cancer screening is critical for effective treatment, improved survival rates, and reduced mortality. However, adherence to screening is influenced by various factors, including education and communication barriers. These barriers can be particularly pronounced for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) population using American Sign Language (ASL), potentially hindering preventive care. Education is widely known to be associated with cancer screening; however, the contributory role of a person’s functional ability to understand spoken language (e.g., lipreading, speechreading, combination with gestures) in a quiet room has not been explored. Methods: Using the NCI Health Information National Trends Survey in ASL as well as USPSTF guideline for colorectal cancer screening, we surveyed 566 DDBHH adult participants between July 2023 and October 2024. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between functional hearing ability (understand well vs cannot understand well in a quiet room) and colorectal cancer screening adherence, after adjusting for age and education. A two-sided p<=.05 was considered significant. Results: After adjusting for age and education, results did not indicate a significant association between functional hearing status and cancer screening adherence [β=1.14 (95% CI=0.75,1.73)], suggesting that a person's functional hearing ability does not independently influence screening rates. In this model, education level remained as a significant predictor, with lower educational attainment associated with a decreased likelihood of adhering to colorectal cancer screening guidelines [β =.51(95% CI=0.31,.84)]. Discussion: These findings highlight that functional hearing status alone is not a significant predictor of cancer screening adherence within the DDBHH community, underscoring the need for providers to look beyond a single moment of effective communication. While sign language interpreters ensure effective healthcare communication, they alone cannot address the educational disparities affecting DDBHH populations. Our study shows that DDBHH individuals with fewer years of education are less likely to undergo cancer screening. To achieve equitable health outcomes, providers should consider adding trained community health workers or patient navigators who have lived experience to the interpreter team. These navigators have potential to help overcome educational barriers and improve cancer screening rates among DDBHH patients. Citation Format: DT Bruno, Erika Bergeron, Regina Wang, Poorna Kushalnagar. Hearing Status and Colorectal Cancer Screening: Identifying Access Barriers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 4959.