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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The nation is making advancements in the fight against colorectal cancer, but closing the racial gap is not part of that progress.
According to the latest report on the disease from the American Cancer Society (ACS), the gap between colorectal cancer incidence and death has actually grown over the past three years among blacks and whites. While both measures are declining in both groups, they are going down significantly faster for whites. In the previous report, for example, the incidence rate in white men was about 63 per 100,000. For black men it was about 72 per 100,000. The difference was a little under 10 percent.
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In the current report, the rates were nearly 60 per 100,000 for white men versus about 71 per 100,000 for black men, a difference of about 12 percent.
Overall death rates are about 45 percent higher for black men and women.
"We've made remarkable progress in reducing death and suffering from colorectal cancer," Elizabeth "Terry" T.H. Fontham, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., national volunteer president of the ACS, was quoted as saying. "Tests we have right now allow doctors to detect this killer at its earliest, most treatable stage, or even prevent it altogether. But as this report shows, there's more work to be done to ensure all Americans have access to these lifesaving tests, and that those who do have access to the tests use them."
The report did note progress in many areas, however, including a significant increase in the number of states ensuring coverage for the full range of colorectal cancer screening tests, the proportion of cancers being discovered in their earliest and most treatable stages, and Food and Drug Administration approval of a new drug called Panitumumab to treat the disease.
SOURCE: American Cancer Society press release, published online December 12, 2008
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