title: Cancer of the colon and rectum in Louisiana.
abstract: Cancer of the colon and rectum ranks fourth for incidence and second for mortality among Louisiana residents. Incidence rates calculated from Louisiana Tumor Registry data for 1991-95 show that whites in Louisiana were diagnosed with colon cancer at approximately the same rates as those in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, but rates for African Americans were significantly lower in Louisiana than nationally. For rectal cancer, Louisiana incidence rates approximate the national rates for all but African-American males, whose rate was significantly lower. Mortality rates for colon and rectal cancer in Louisiana were comparable to the SEER rates, suggesting Louisiana blacks, once diagnosed, have a poorer survival than their national counterparts. Risk factors for colorectal cancer and guidelines for screening are discussed, as is an upcoming study of patient care for colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: X C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American