A recent study from the Veterans Administration Medical Center suggests that colon cancer is more prevalent among African Americans than whites. Researchers found cancer rates have gone up in our community and almost 43 percent of us are more likely to die of the disease than our white counterparts. In addition, their findings show that polyps—a small clump of cells that form on the colon’s lining—were also larger in black people.

David Lieberman, MD, the study’s lead author states, “Asymptomatic black men and women undergoing colonoscopy screenings are more likely to have one or more polyps sized more than 9 millimeter as compared with white individuals. The differences were especially striking among women. These findings emphasize the importance of encouraging all black men and women to be screened.”

Learn more abut the colon cancer screenings here.