Overall, African Americans have more malignant tumors and are less likely to survive cancer than the general population. Limited access to health care services, language and cultural barriers are primary reasons for the low rates of screening and treatment among other minority groups, such as Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Natives, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander women.

Colorectal cancer affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and is most often found in people aged 50 years or older. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate and lung cancers. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast and lung cancers.

Background

A colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis can be very overwhelming. The dangers, prevention and treatment of colon cancer are still not widely known and are not discussed because it affects parts of the body that people often find embarrassing or even forbidden to talk about. Lack of general public awareness of the disease has limited funding for research, kept colon cancer patients unaware of their treatment options and prevented early detection and treatment in far too many cases. Be informed and prevent this disease and its consequences.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Sometimes it is called colon cancer, for short. The colon is the large intestine or large bowel. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.
Colon cancer, when discovered early, is highly treatable. Even if it spreads into nearby lymph nodes, surgical treatment followed by chemotherapy is highly successful. In the most difficult cases — when the cancer has metastasized to the liver, lungs or other sites — treatment can prolong and add to the quality of life.

Risk Factors

• Age over 50: Colorectal cancer is more likely to occur as people get older. More than 90 percent of people with this disease are diagnosed after age 50. The average age at diagnosis is 72.

• Colorectal polyps: Polyps are growths on the inner wall of the colon or rectum. They are common in people over age 50. Most polyps are benign (not cancer), but some polyps (adenomas) can become cancer. Finding and removing polyps may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer..

• Family history of colorectal cancer: Close relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, or children) of a person with a history of colorectal cancer are somewhat more likely to develop this disease themselves, especially if the relative had the cancer at a young age. If many close relatives have a history of colorectal cancer, the risk is even greater.

• Genetic alterations: Changes in certain genes increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

• Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) is the most common type of inherited (genetic) colorectal cancer. Family members of people who have HNPCC or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) can have genetic testing to check for specific genetic changes. For those who have changes in their genes, health care providers may suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, or to improve the detection of this disease. For adults with FAP, the doctor may recommend an operation to remove all or part of the colon and rectum.

• Personal history of cancer: A person who has already had colorectal cancer may develop colorectal cancer a second time. Also, women with a history of cancer of the ovary, uterus (endometrium), or breast are at a somewhat higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.

• Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease: A person who has had a condition that causes inflammation of the colon (such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) for many years is at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

• Diet: Studies suggest that diets high in fat (especially animal fat) and low in calcium, folate, and fiber may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Also, some studies suggest that people who eat a diet very low in fruits and vegetables may have a higher risk of colorectal cancer. However, results from diet studies do not always agree, and more research is needed to better understand how diet affects the risk of colorectal cancer.

• Cigarette smoking: A person who smokes cigarettes may be at increased risk of developing polyps and colorectal cancer.

Preventive Measures

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn't have to be. If everybody aged 50 or older had regular screening tests, as many as 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in American men. African-American men continue to have higher prostate cancer prevalence and mortality rates compared to men in other populations. African-American men are 40 percent more likely to have prostate cancer and twice as likely as white men to die of the disease. In 1993, African-American Medicare beneficiaries were almost 2.5 times as likely their white counterparts to have a bi-lateral orchiectomy (surgery to remove the testicles) to treat prostate cancer. The factors that influence prostate cancer health disparities are still not well understood. Age is the most important risk factor for contracting prostate cancer. Others are race, family history, and environment. Environmental factors likely account for the prostate cancers found in men with no family history, including geographic location, a high-fat diet, high caloric intake, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Background

Prostate cancer is a common, but typically slow growing cancer when compared to other types of cancer. Its growth is fed by, and generally depends on male hormones. Sometimes cells keep growing beyond their natural lifespan, and can cause a group of cells to swell up into a tumor. The prostate is a gland involved in the male reproductive system. It is surrounded by other glands, nerves and organs involved in sexual function. It is wrapped around the urethra and helps control the flow of urine. While you can live without a prostate, its location makes prostate cancer difficult to treat. The prostate is about the same size and shape as a walnut and weights only about an ounce. The prostate is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds a tube called the urethra that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis.

Risk Factors

• Are you over 50?

• Do you eat foods that are high in fat?

• Are you overweight?

• Do you exercise?

• Do you have family members with prostate cancer?

Although many advances in cancer research are being made, we do not precisely understand the cause of many types of cancer. However, we do know that there are many factors that put us at high risk for different types of cancer. Some of these factors are beyond our control, but there are others over which we can indeed exert influence. Presently, we have diagnostic tests available to help us detect certain cancers in their earliest stages.

The American Cancer Society recommends that all men between the ages of 20 and 40 have a medical check-up to detect cancer, and after the age of 40 an annual check-up. In addition to testing for non-cancer related diseases, this check-up must include screening for prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, skin cancer and leukemia.

• Eat a diet that is low in fat and consume lots of vegetables, fruits and grains.

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.

• Maintain a healthy weight.

Detection Screening:

Consider having a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test and a digital rectal exam beginning at age 50 or at 45 if you have one of the above mentioned risk factors, if you are African American, or if you have a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Sources:
Colon Cancer Alliance
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities_
United Healthcare – Cancer Prevention

Minority Health Today Archive