Does race affect colorectal cancer screening recommendations?
The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that African Americans should have colon screening for cancer at age 45, instead of 50. The recommendation is because African Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age than Caucasians. African Americans who develop colorectal cancer have decreased survival, compared with Caucasians. They further recommend colonoscopy to be the preferred screening procedure for African Americans- rather than flexible sigmoidoscopy because African Americans have more right-sided cancer and polyps and and flexible sigmoidoscopy cannot reach the right side of the colon.
