Recent studies indicate that people less likely to be informed and/or conscious about the intricacies of cancer are also presumable candidates to be diagnosed with this disease at some point in their lives. These individuals include the elderly, the uneducated and minorities in the lower income bracket. A commonality among these specific groups is myth-believing men who justify their seemingly good health as reasons to avoid partaking in regular check-ups and doctor’s visits. Even more intriguing about the research conducted, is how disproportionate percentages reveal that Blacks are more affected by this calamitous disease than any other ethnicity in America. Much of this is due to the fact that a large number of us remain lax in equipping ourselves with the vital information necessary to ensure we escape the clutches of this merciless disease.

Diet and nutrition, lesser avenues of proper health insurance, the digital divide and stressful lifestyles also remain large contributing factors in why African Americans are at greater risk of acquiring cancer and dying from it. In addition, the numbers of minorities residing in urban communities where high levels of pollution and cancer causing agents are prevalent (areas located near expressways and industrial districts), also weigh heavily in the reasons why blacks are more susceptible to getting cancer than whites. Surveys conducted by health professional who worked closely the NBLIC (National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer) indicate that the majority of us are also ignorant to the major warning signs of cancer, thus are incapable of detecting, treating and possibly curing the disease in its early stages.

Among the many types of cancers (colon, rectum, breast, prostate and lung) acquired by African American males today, colon cancer is second most common cause of cancer related deaths. Though rarely, it does occur in women and adolescence, sometimes even children. Nonetheless, it is extremely important to understand how cancer is related to one’s habits and lifestyles (job, diet, vices, exercise, spirituality and well-being). Wellness advisors believe that about 35% of cancer death can be related to foods that we consume. It is no secret that African American diet tends to be high in fat and lack the dietary fiber essential in prevention.

American Cancer Society (ACS) recently reported that though fewer African Americans are dying from colon cancer than in previous years, our death rates rank higher than any other racial or ethnic group. In fact, statistics estimate that 16,440 African American men will receive a colon cancer diagnosis in 2007; that of which 7,070 patients will not survive. As mentioned before, better insurance, socioeconomic status and preventive practices among many other issues are significant in decreasing our percentages.

According to studies conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, Hispanics (14% of the total US population identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino) rank second in ethnicities with men who die from colon cancer. In 2006, their lifetime probability of dying from cancer was 1 in 5 men. African American (comprising approximately 13% of the total US population) men on the other hand, rank first in colon cancer related deaths, indicating that 11% of men in our entire population in 2007 will die. In respect to surviving cancer, ACS reports declare, “that in general, African Americans are less likely than whites to survive 5 years after diagnosis. Much of this difference is believed to be due to barriers to receipt of timely and high quality care by African Americans, which result in diagnosis at a later stage when the disease has spread to regional or distant tissues …”

Let’s face it. It is through food that we as African Americans have been able to retain our sense of culture. Nonetheless, African-American cuisine, though diverse and flavorful, is often high in fat, carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol. Even our dishes commonly referred to as soul food, includes vegetable fixings such as greens, black eye peas and sweet potatoes, are prepared with high quantities of salt and sugars. Though a staple to the unchanged post-slavery diet, our meats, poultry and fish are no healthier as they are often fried and prepared in large amounts of oil, butter and starch. Past reports show that “in 1965, African Americans were more than twice as likely as whites to eat a diet that met the recommended guidelines for fat, fiber, and fruit and vegetable intakes. By 1996, however, 28 percent of African Americans were reported to have a poor-quality diet, compared to 16 percent of whites, and 14 percent of other racial groups.”

Finding reasonably priced health food that may prohibit dietary malfunctions remains a constant struggle in the black community, especially among those with families. Thus, because of the poor socioeconomic status common among black males today, it is easy to see how diet combined with work related stresses (specifically implied racial tension and indirect competition in the work place) makes us probable candidates for colon cancer. To date, the association between psychologically induced stress and cancer has yet to be scientifically proven. However, recent analysis on this subject reveals how stress factors (relationships, death social isolation, racial tension and school exams) alter our body’s ability to ward off infection and disease.

At this point, black males are already slowly being abolished and left behind in the cultural progression of society. Aside from health issues, the percentage of black men attending and graduating colleges and universities is extremely low, and decreasing. Because of this, African American males continue to remain prime candidates for poor health and victims of poverty-stricken lifestyles. According to a report printed in the St. Petersburg Times in 2004, “a mere quarter of the 1.9-million black men between 18 and 24 attended college and even fewer are graduating. Today, black men make up 41 percent of the inmates in federal state, and local prison, but black men are only 4 percent of all students in American institutions of higher education.” Clearly, the grim number of black males earning college degrees is lessening at an alarming rate. Thus, the absence of black men as role models, low expectations from teachers and other adults, low sense of self and decreasing aspirations further perpetuates the creation of obstacles that keep us uneducated in areas of prosperity, health and family provision.

Murder, imprisonment, unemployment, poverty, HIV/AIDS, parenting (or lack thereof) and life expectancy are all factors to contend with when it comes to winning the American race, and our men are failing tremendously. Though women are holding the reigns when it comes to rearing our black children and obtaining proper education that will enable them to sustain employment, it is not suffice to carry a dying race across roads journeying between peril and possibility.

Let’s ponder for a moment the notion some of our accomplished anomalies - men who are highly educated, visit doctors regularly, maintain healthy lifestyles and live in the middle of white suburbia; all characteristics that contradict justifications of poor health in our communities. Though little, there is the possibility of treading through the quicksand that threatens to deplete us of our own efforts to educate ourselves. However, would we be ignorant in neglecting the fact that African American patients receive lower quality health care provisions than Caucasian patients? "The dearth of minority health professionals directly contributes to the nation's crisis of lower quality healthcare and higher rates of illness and disability among a growing number of residents," declares Dr. Georges Benjamin, director of the American Public Health Association. If we do not rise above and do our part to change our footing, we will be forever plagued by our own beliefs that the lack of effort to support and provide quality insurance for our black brothers and sisters is in collusion with ideas of genocide. Is this merely an excuse to be irresponsible, or is this something we can one day overcome?

Whether or not African American can ever combat a system that challenges our ability to decrease the number of cancer related deaths is a question that remains unanswered. Basically, until we educate ourselves, until we obtain employment in medical agencies, public health care centers and even in senate, we will continue to hinder the health of our Black men. We must fight hard in raising and educating our boys to men so that they can become doctors and administrators in the field of medicine. We must encourage our influential black men who are not incarcerated, dead or infected with AIDS or HIV, to get regular check ups, to eat a proper diet and more importantly, work hard at getting their families out of toxic neighborhoods crippled by socioeconomics. We must lead them to be examples, to pass on the knowledge imparted in articles such as this, so that our young ones grow up to be strong and effective.

Many hospitals around the country are closing due to the insufficiency of funds generally raised in an effort to provide for uninsured patients. Grady Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia, may have to close it doors because it can no longer withstand the hard hits of catering uninsured patients – most of which include black minorities. The issue around the possibility of losing Grady Medical is that it is one of the few trauma centers in the area. Institutions such as these are kept running through private funds, grants, donations given by affluent graduates of surrounding colleges and universities. Again, this presents yet another problem for the poverty stricken communities within the city limits. Should hospitals such as Grady close its doors, thousands of patients will have to be shipped to other hospitals that may provide quality care, but will not cater to the uninsured, which is grim in the event of traumatic injuries.

As adults, it is our responsibility to encourage our children to take control of their precious lives. Grooming our youth - young black boys especially, to attend college or utilize their natural gifts and abilities to build businesses that can generate affluence and wealth that can potentially offset some off the inadequate medical care offered today. It would behoove African American doctors in the field to be more of an influence in the communities, so that young black boys and girls may aspire to obtain careers in medicine, and ultimately the shortage of clinics that provide for uninsured minorities will begin to cease. With as much as we have overcome and still in need of prevailing, the victimized mentalities that have crippled us and kept us stagnant as a people in many ways must be dispelled. The debilitating effects of racism, however, shall not be ignored, yet our focus must change into that of self-determination and survival. We must contact legislatures and administrators to discuss concerns for cancer control measures and environmental initiatives to improve the modifiable risk factors that have impacted our communities. Furthermore, we must take responsibility for ourselves as an ethnic community; we must become educated in enhancing our own lives; we must change our diets. We must live. Otherwise, as black men, we are simply biding our time of silent ticks that threaten to dispel our existence. If we are not careful, we will one day become an “endangered species”.

For answers to questions you may have about colon cancer symptoms you are having, please seek consultation from your physician so that he/she may advise or give recommendations regarding risk factors and preventive measures you may take in order to maintain your good health and well being. Be encouraged to stop the cycle and take the initial steps. Inquire about tests that will provide your physician with the information they need to properly detect and diagnose colon cancer, including a physical exam, digital rectal exam (DRE), fecal occult blood test (FOBT), complete blood count (CBC), sigmoidoscopy, CT scan, double contrast barium enema, colonoscopy, PET scan, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) testing.

Listed below are descriptions of procedures and exams that can better inform you on how to communicate with your physician on the topic of colon cancer.Exam Descriptions (gathered from information displayed on http://www.webmd.com and http://www.healthline.com:

Physical Exam:
Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a health care inspects the body of a patient for signs of disease and/or irregularities. Often times, information is recorded as it pertains medical history. These exams are key in the process of determining proper diagnosis or the devising of a treatment plan is necessary for prevention or recovery. Thorough examinations include the checking of vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate), basic biometrics (height, weight and pain revelation), urine samples and blood tests.

In addition to your physical exam, inquire about the following for further colon cancer detection:

Direct Rectal Exam (DRE)
This examination is designed to check for abnormalities of organs or masses in the pelvis and lower abdomen. During the exam, the insertion of a lubricated gloved finger into the anus enables the doctor check for aberration around the prostrate gland.

Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT)
Here, blood in the stool is examined to test for some intestinal conditions or colorectal cancer (see colorectal cancer above). The only symptom of colorectal cancer is blood in the stool, however, all blood found stool is not a symptom of cancer. A physician will advise you further should you find that your symptoms are not cancer related.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
This test provides pertinent information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, namely red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which may also bee helpful for diagnosing serious conditions, such as anemia, infection, cancer and a gamut other disorders.

Sigmoidoscopy
A procedure enables physicians to examine the large intestine through the insertion of a lighted, flexible tube connected to a fiber optic camera, which portrays images of your intestine into an eyepiece or a video screen.

CT Scan
Computed Tomography, CT for short (also referred to as CAT, for Computed Axial Tomography), utilizes X-ray technology and sophisticated computers to create images of cross-section “slices” through the body. CT exams and CAT scanning provide a quick overview of pathologies and enable rapid analyses and treatment plans.

Double Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)
This procedure measures the amount of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in blood. The CEA test is ordered for patients who show symptoms cancer of the gastrointestinal system (including cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach, esophagus, liver, or pancreas.

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Mathhew Lynch can be emailed at Lynch39083@aol.com