age for african american men to get a colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is recommended at least every 10 years, starting at the age of 45 for African-Americans who are at greater risk for the cancer and at 50 for other races. Your risk for colon cancer increases if you have had previous cancers, a family history of colon or rectal cancers, or have ulcerative colitis. Colorectal cancer occurs more frequently in African American men and women than in any other racial group in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. Death rates from the disease are also higher in African Americans than in other racial groups. Men and women should have a colonoscopy at age 50. African American men and women should have their first screening at age 45. Individuals with a history of a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) or a personal history of colorectal cancer should be screened using a different schedule. The American Cancer Society recommends that African Americans start discussing prostate cancer early detection tests with their doctors beginning at age 45. Men with several close relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age should have these discussions at age 40. Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society's estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2014 are: 96,830 new cases of colon cancer. 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer. Everyone age 50 and older. The average age to develop colorectal cancer is 70 years, and 93% of cases occur in persons 50 years of age or older. Current recommendations are to begin screening at age 50 if there are no risk factors other than age for colorectal cancers. The exception is African-Americans, who should start at 45. If, however, a close relative was diagnosed very young (below 50), it would not make sense to wait until you were 40. In these instances, the rule of thumb is to get screened ten years younger than the age of your family member with colon cancer at diagnosis. Experts recommend men and women begin testing for colon cancer at age 50. Blacks should begin screenings at age 45. For those with a prior or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, screenings should begin earlier -- at age 40 or 10 years before the family member had the disease, whichever is sooner. Lung cancer was 36 percent more common in African American men than in Caucasian men but occurred at about the same rate for African American and Caucasian women during between 2001 and 2005, the latest data available, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Colon Cancer and Ethnicity and Race. 1  African-American men and women have a higher risk of developing colon cancer and a lower survival rate (about 20% higher incidence rate and 45% higher mortality rate) compared to Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans, partly because of disproportionate screening.
45