Cancer prevention and early detection in black Americans: colon and rectum.

Often referred to as "the cancer nobody talks about," the incidence of cancer of the colon and the rectum combine to form the second most common cancer in the United States today. In the past thirty years, the overall incidence rate for cancer in Blacks has increased by 27 percent; there are proportionately more Blacks than Whites dying from cancer. Blacks tend to have cancer diagnosed at a later stage, when chances for cures have diminished. This study examines some of the causes of colon and rectal cancer and discusses prevention strategies.