A new study shows death rates for colon and rectal cancers are higher for African Americans.
Wired PR News.com – Research released by the American Cancer Society on Monday proposes that the colon cancer death rate gap between white and black racial groups has significantly widened since the 1970s. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), African Americans have a 50 percent higher chance of dying from colon and rectal cancers than Caucasians. The gap has been said to have steadily increased since the 1970s, when there was practically no disparity between the two groups.
The reasons listed for the differences include the lower instances of screening rates among blacks, and less available access to quality health care for the group. As quoted in the report of Elizabeth Ward of the America Cancer Society “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.”
An estimated 50,000 individuals in America are anticipated to die of colorectal cancer this year. Early diagnosis, proper health care, and screening are identified as effective means of reducing related deaths. More information on the subject can be found by visiting The American Cancer Society online at http://www.cancer.org.
