Racial Disparity of Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rates Increased in Last 20 Years

Researchers discovered that although the overall colorectal cancer mortality rate decreased from 1985-1987 and 2006-2008, the racial gap between whites and blacks increased, according to findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Using the Incidence-Based Mortality database of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, researchers tested the mortality rates for three difference disease stages: localized, regional and distant. They found the mortality rates for localized stage disease decreased 30.3 percent in whites and 13.2 percent in blacks. For regional stage disease, the mortality rate decreased 48.5 percent for whites and 34 percent for blacks. For distant stage disease, the mortality rate decreased 32.6 percent for whites and 4.6 percent for blacks.

Although the mortality rates decreased for both whites and black in all three disease stages, the disparity between whites and black increased for all three stages. The black-white odds ratio for localized disease increased from 1.17 to 1.41, 1.03 to 1.30 for regional disease and 1.21 to 1.72 for distant disease. Researchers found the disparity in distant-stage mortality rates accounted for approximately 60 percent of the overall disparity.

Related Articles on Colorectal Cancer:
Racial Colonoscopy Gap Persists Even When Physician Numbers Increase
Study Finds More Left-Sided Bowel Cancer
Colorectal Cancer Incidence Increasing in Adults Under 50

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