Oral 32 Colorectal Cancer: Clinical Differences Among Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites: A Single Institution’s Experience Over 20 Years
Author Insight from Daniel Pievsky, DO, RD, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
What’s new here and important for clinicians?
Our study found that Hispanics were being diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) at an earlier age and with more advanced disease than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. We also noted that once Hispanics were diagnosed, they tended to have a higher recurrence rate after treatment and a shorter lifespan in general. Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., and it is of vital importance that we as clinicians are aware of potential cultural and ethnic differences in health and presentation of disease. For those physicians who regularly treat Hispanics, it may be worthwhile to ask about symptoms of CRC at an earlier age and to stress compliance with current screening modalities, such as colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy (because Hispanics tended to have over 70% of their CRC on the left side) to hopefully detect these cancers at earlier stages. Additional studies are clearly needed, but if this information is confirmed by larger and prospective trials, a change in current screening guidelines for Hispanics may be justified.
What do patients need to know?
It is very important for all U.S. Hispanics to know that they may be at greater risk for colorectal cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. The best thing that Hispanics can do is to see their primary care doctor regularly and follow current colon cancer screening guidelines, which may be able to detect these cancers early thus leading to earlier lifesaving treatment.
Author Contact Daniel Pievsky, DO, RD, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Daniel.Pievsky@njms.rutgers.edu
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