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CommentsWhat you don’t know may kill you: Colorectal Cancer among Latinos
According to the American Cancer Society, Latinos are the second-highest ethnic group at risk for colorectal cancer.
Staff
According to the American Cancer Society, Latinos are the second-highest ethnic group at risk for colorectal cancer, with African Americans being first. Men and women are equally at risk in all ethnic groups.
And while breast, lung and skin cancer are at the forefront of the media spotlight with prevention resources reaching all demographics, the silent killer of colon cancer is out there. Though not recognized with incessant media headlines across the nation, Americans lead the world in incidence of colon cancer. But, it is preventable.
The physicians of Arizona Gastroenterology in Tucson are taking a stand by launching a campaign to achieve an 80 percent colorectal pre-screening rate to increase awareness as well as colorectal cancer survival in Southern Arizona .
With routine screenings, colon cancer or pre-cancerous polyps can easily be detected and treated. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate for Stage I colon cancer is more than 90 percent.
Dr. Bryan Contreras, a member of the Arizona Gastroenterology team, notes the 80 percent goal is well within reach, but it will take a major effort to educate the general population in Arizona .
“It’s very important to our practice to get word out that colon cancer is a serious threat, but with early and proper screenings, patients’ survival rate drastically increases,” Contreras says. “Today, it is vital to take control of our health and routinely get the proper diagnostic tests we need.
“Colon screenings are especially imperative for people over 50, as the risk for colon cancer increases with age.”
Latinos with colon cancer have poorer survival than non-Latinos. While colon cancer incidence and mortality rates have declined slightly over the past decade, there remain marked differences by ethnicity, including an increased incidence and earlier age of onset in Latinos. Although the cancer is third most commonly diagnosed cancer among the Latinos population, it is the least screened.
Among Latinos aged 50 and older surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 12 percent reported having a fecal occult blood test in the preceding year. Just 25 percent of those surveyed underwent a sigmoidoscopy or proctoscopy in the last five years.
Arizona Gastroenterology is committed to helping patients understand the importance of colorectal cancer identification and prevention, in addition to being aware of today’s cutting edge treatments.
There are often no symptoms with colorectal cancer so the physicians at Arizona Gastroenterology focus on the importance of regular screenings, which can catch polyps or non-cancerous growths in the colon. In many cases, these tests identify colorectal cancers at an early stage and greatly improve the chances of successful treatment.
Contact Arizona Gastroenterology by calling (520) 742-4139 or visit www.azgastroenterology.com.
