Q&A: Are Black Americans Facing a Silent Crisis with Colorectal Cancer?

Despite advances in medicine, colorectal cancer remains a significant threat, particularly among minority communities. Shockingly Black Americans face the second-highest mortality and incidence rates in the U.S., being 35 percent more likely to die from colorectal cancer and 15 percent more likely to develop it than non-Hispanic whites, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CRC). Tragically, colorectal cancer has become the second leading cause of cancer death in Black Americans, and the disease is increasingly affecting younger generations, becoming the deadliest cancer among men under 50. Researchers predict it will soon become the leading cause of cancer death in men and women ages 20-49. Black Americans are also 30 percent more likely to develop young-onset colorectal cancer. Moreover, one in four Black Americans is diagnosed with colorectal cancer at later stages, when treatment becomes challenging. Colorectal cancer can develop silently, without symptoms, until it reaches advanced stages, which makes a proactive approach crucial. BlackDoctor.org spoke with Dr. Cedrek McFadden, a colorectal cancer surgeon and member of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance Medical Scientific Advisory Committee, to discuss these disparities, the prevention and treatment strategies available, and how individuals can take charge of their prostate health. Can you start by discussing the...