Racial disparities persist in colorectal cancer rates in the United States, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Colorectal cancer cases are declining overall in the US, the most recent cancer report card found, but unfortunately are rising in younger people. The report also finds that disparities in cancer rates among different racial groups have been persisting. Kathy Bull Henry, a colorectal cancer expert at Johns Hopkins, reviews the data.

Bull Henry: In this country we have 150,000 new cases annually, about 52,000 deaths per year. it is the third most common cancer, and the second deadliest cancer in the country. For black men, the incidence is much higher than for white men. Women, also the incidence for blacks is much higher than for white women. Mortality also has this same trend.  :27

Bull Henry says much active research is attempting to pin down why black men and women have higher rates of colorectal cancer as well as several other types of cancer, but for now, vigilance in screening is key. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.