Colorectal Cancer Disparities
Colorectal cancer appears to develop at a younger age in Black individuals and, due to reduced screening and later identification, death rates are higher.
While colorectal cancer rates have been dropping in older individuals, incidence is increasing among individuals under 50 years of age, and incidence and mortality rates are highest among American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Black individuals.
Rogers et. al note that while “the overall annual rate of CRC diagnosis has been decreasing nationally since the mid-1980s, Black men continue to have the highest mortality rate from CRC of any ethnic group in the US.”
Several factors appear to contribute to the disparities, including : lack in information among people of color, mistrust, reduced access, social determinants of health as well as implicit bias and system racism.
The rate of Hispanic individuals diagnosed with CRC at a localized stage is slightly lower than that of Non-Hispanic White individuals (NHW), but this is likely due to lower screening rates among Hispanic adults. This means more must be done to screen people of color for cancer, including CRC, to prevent late-stage diagnosis and/or underdiagnosis.
Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are associated with prolonged time to treatment after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
Studies also show geography plays a role in colorectal cancer disparities.