Colonoscopy is the most widely used tool to screen for colon cancer. It is the only modality to date that can screen and treat patients with the identification and subsequent removal of colon and rectal polyps.
Polyps can be hyperplastic (benign) or adenomatous (pre-cancerous). These are fleshy growths in the inner lining of the colon that can become cancerous. Cancer begins when cells in the body start to grow out of control. The goal of screening colonoscopy is to detect and remove these polyps before they become cancerous.
The question that often arises is who should be screened and when? Current guidelines from several medical societies recommend screening average-risk people without symptoms at age 50.
In 2005, The American College of Gastroenterology published new guidelines for screening African Americans for colorectal cancer starting at age 45 because of differences in incidence and survival.
Conclusion:
Some of the reasons for the health disparity may be due to lack of public knowledge about the benefits of screening, limited access to health care and insurance as well as fear, mistrust and anxiety about testing and the health care system. Doctors may not be aware of adjusted guidelines and may have discordant recommendations for screening.