New studies may help reduce colon cancer screening disparities

While many Americans in general are not getting the recommended colon cancer screenings, there are certain groups that are lagging behind more than others. Colon cancer screening rates are lowest among: low-income individuals, those with no health insurance, those with less education, certain racial and ethnic minorities, those living in rural areas. There are various reasons that these groups do worse than others. These include lack of access to health care, low health literacy, and language and cultural barriers. A number of American Cancer Society-funded researchers are currently working on new ways to address these barriers. Read more here.