New Study Examines Early Onset Colorectal Cancer Care Disparities

In a new, large national hospital-based study, researchers at the American Cancer Society found that “young individuals racialized as Black are more likely to die after a colorectal cancer diagnosis than individuals racialized as White in the United States.” Researchers examined racial disparities in receipt of timely and guideline-concordant care, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, among individuals with early onset colorectal cancer. The study pointed to health insurance, a modifiable factor, as the largest contributor to racial disparities in receipt of guideline-concordant care. The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).