Are there any colon cancer differences associated with gender or race?
Dr. Johnson: There is a slightly delayed development of precancerous polyps and cancers in women, but the recommendations for age to begin screening are no different. As women’s lifetime expectancy is in general, longer than a man’s, the overall lifetime risk of cancer is very similar for men and women. For African Americans, there is an earlier onset of cancers and these tend to be more aggressive, hence the recommendations by national society guidelines to begin screening at age 45 instead of the general recommendation — at age 50. Dr. Hobley: Recent studies have found significant disparities in colon cancer in relation to both gender (women are “less likely” than men to be screened) and ethnicity (African Americans are more likely to die from colon cancer). Arch Intern Med 2007; 167 258-264.
