Study Finds Non-White Residents Lack Access and Die Earlier of Colorectal Cancer in Washington State

A study finds that Hispanic or Latinx, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native residents, had on average less access to screening services and died earlier from colorectal cancer compared to white residents in Washington State, reports WSU Insider. The study looked at more than 7,000 residents who died of colorectal cancer between 2011 and 2018. More than twice as many white residents lived within 6.2 miles of screening services compared to non-white patients, and distance impacted the groups differently – while White residents died an average of 1.6 years earlier if they lived far from services, non-white residents died 6.9 years earlier on average if they lived far from services. These disparities compound to produce an eight-year life expectancy gap between non-white residents who lived far from screening services and white residents who lived closer.