Colon Cancer Racial Disparity
According to a report being released by the American Cancer Society tomorrow
the racial gap in colon cancer death rates is widening.
Colon and rectal cancer death rates are now nearly 50 percent higher in blacks than in whites.
"We have seen this enormous progress in whites. We could be seeing the same progress in blacks if we could overcome disparities in access to health care," said Elizabeth Ward, who oversees surveillance and health policy at the cancer society.
Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cancer killer in the United States. About 50,000 Americans will die of the disease this year, the cancer society estimates.
The rate of diagnoses in blacks was about 19 percent higher than it was for whites in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
The death-rate difference was even more pronounced. Among blacks, there were about 25 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 17 per 100,000 in whites.
Colon cancer deaths can be prevented by early diagnosis through screening and care. The screening rate for whites is 50 percent compared with 40 percent for blacks.
The screening rate for Hispanics is even lower, 32 percent. But the death rate for Hispanics—fewer than 13 per 100,000—is lower than it is for non-Hispanic whites.
the racial gap in colon cancer death rates is widening.
Colon and rectal cancer death rates are now nearly 50 percent higher in blacks than in whites.
"We have seen this enormous progress in whites. We could be seeing the same progress in blacks if we could overcome disparities in access to health care," said Elizabeth Ward, who oversees surveillance and health policy at the cancer society.
Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cancer killer in the United States. About 50,000 Americans will die of the disease this year, the cancer society estimates.
The rate of diagnoses in blacks was about 19 percent higher than it was for whites in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
The death-rate difference was even more pronounced. Among blacks, there were about 25 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 17 per 100,000 in whites.
Colon cancer deaths can be prevented by early diagnosis through screening and care. The screening rate for whites is 50 percent compared with 40 percent for blacks.
The screening rate for Hispanics is even lower, 32 percent. But the death rate for Hispanics—fewer than 13 per 100,000—is lower than it is for non-Hispanic whites.
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