A study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology examined the medical records of more than 14,000 colon cancer patients in Maryland, 22 percent of whom were African American.
Results of the Study
The researchers found that in general, African Americans were older at the time of diagnosis (age 70 vs. age 66 for non-African-American patients). They also determined that African Americans had more life-threatening symptoms at the time of diagnosis and were more likely to die in the hospital.
In my opinion, this study reinforces the importance of colon cancer screening to avoid a delayed diagnosis. For more information about this topic, please read African Americans and Colon Cancer.
Source: Ahuja, N. and Chang, D. "Disparities in Colon Cancer Presentation and In-Hospital Mortality in Maryland: A Ten-Year Review." Annals of Surgical Oncology 14 (2007): 411-416. Accessed 17 March 2007.
