Racial disparities in colon cancer survival appear to be related to health of patient at diagnosis rather than differences in subsequent treatments, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers analyzed 7,677 black patients, aged 65 years or older, and three sets of 7,677 matched white patients.
The study found that the absolute difference in five-year survival between black and white patients was 9.9 percent in the demographic characteristics match. The disparity in survival related to differences in treatment made up only an absolute 0.6 percent of the overall 9.9 percent survival disparity.
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