Use of Colonoscopy and Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Among African Americans and Whites in a Low-Income Population

Colorectal cancer is the third most common incident cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The disease is largely preventable with screening. In the United States, colorectal cancer mortality is higher among African Americans than among whites, possibly because of inequalities in the delivery of screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic regimens (1,2). To elucidate the role of race in the use of two recommended screening tests for colorectal cancer (i.e., colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy), we compared data on test use among African Americans and white participants in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS).