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Colorectal cancer screening rates overall remain relatively low in the U.S. and are particularly low in certain subgroups. To identify potential disparities in screening, investigators evaluated data from 596,470 Medicare beneficiaries in New York, Florida, and Illinois. All study participants were at average risk for colorectal cancer (i.e., no history of colon polyps, colon cancer, or inflammatory bowel disease). Study participants were categorized as having high, medium, or low income and education levels based on their postal codes.
During 2002 and 2003, 18% of the study population underwent colorectal cancer screening. However, rates varied substantially by demographics. Nonwhites were much less likely than whites to be screened for col…