Increase in the African American population appears to be associated with a decrease in the number of colorectal cancer specialists

According to a new article, despite the overall declines in incidence of and death from colorectal cancer in the general U.S. population, African Americans are more likely to die of the disease. This is due to the poor access of minority groups to quality health care services.

The authors of the article say that “Without suitable access, many minority patients may present with advanced colorectal cancer and be less likely to receive appropriate adjuvant therapies [used after primary treatment to prevent cancer recurrence].”

Awori J. Hayanga, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, and colleagues analyzed data from a nationwide database of health care, economic and demographic information called Area Resource File. According to the data they analyzed, it is shown that with each 1 percent increase in African American population, the number of gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists and colorectal surgeons is decreasing.

As it has been proved by other studies, African Americans are less likely other races to undergo a colonoscopy because they must travel to seek these services, sometimes outside their own residential counties. This is a great impediment in the way of proper treatment for these diseases.

The authors conclude that “Access to diagnostic and adjuvant therapies is central to timely screening, diagnosis, follow-up therapy and surveillance, without which longer-term survival may never be improved and disparities never equalized.”