ACG Urges Earlier Colorectal Cancer Screening for African Americans

The majority of African Americans are unaware they should receive colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45, five years earlier than the generally recommended age, because of higher incidence and mortality rates among this group, according to a press release from the American College of Gastroenterology.

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Healthcare providers need to be more proactive in educating African Americans about colorectal cancer in general, their individual risk factors and the differences in colorectal cancer incidence between African Americans and Caucasians, the ACG said in the release.

African Americans have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer and highest mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2001-2005, incidence rates among African Americans as a group were 22 percent higher than those in Caucasians.

Read the American College of Gastroenterology’s press release on African American colorectal cancer screening.

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