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African Americans More Likely to Die of Colon Cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 24, 2004 - Compared with white Americans, African Americans are less likely to be alive 5 or 10 years after surgery to remove cancerous tissue from the colon, according to new study findings released Monday. Previous research has shown that African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer than whites, and tend to fare worse from the disease once diagnosed. Although the reasons for this discrepancy remain unclear, experts have suggested it may be due to biological differences or because African-Americans often have less access to medical care. However, in the current study, all patients received the same treatment. Because African Americans still tended to survive less often than whites did suggests biologic or genetic differences may be the cause of the discrepancy, study investigator Dominik Alexander told Reuters Health. Alexander and his colleagues from the University of Alabama-Birmingham reviewed the medical records of 199 African-Americans and 292 Caucasians who underwent colon cancer surgery. None of the participants received chemotherapy. The researchers found that, among people with the same stage of disease, African-Americans were 67 percent more likely to die within 5 years after colon cancer surgery, and 52 percent more likely to die within 10 years after surgery. These findings persisted even after removing the influence of age, gender, the site of the tumor in the colon and the hospital where the surgery occurred. There was no difference in survival rates between African Americans and white Americans who received surgery for rectal cancer, the authors report in the journal Cancer. Alexander explained that the strongest difference between African Americans and whites was seen among people diagnosed with cancer in stage II, which is normally treated by surgery alone. Further studies are needed to investigate whether some people carry so-called "markers," or genetic alterations that signal different responses to colon cancer treatment, commented Dr. Upender Manne, the principal investigator. With this information, doctors may be able to tailor treatment according to how each patient is expected to respond, Manne said. Boosting African-Americans' access to follow-up care after surgery may also improve their survival rates, the researcher noted. Manne added that the fact that African Americans are diagnosed more often with colon cancer may stem from many factors, such as differences in diet. "The detection of these tumors can also be influenced by issues related to the awareness and access to the screening," Manne said. SOURCE: Cancer, May 24, 2004. |
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| For more information: Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center |