colon cancer and they have shorter survival after diagnosis with colon cancer,” said Dr. Darrell Gray II, Medical Director, Endoscopy and Gastroenterology Services at Ohio State University and Colorectal Cancer Alliance spokesperson.
He said there are many factors that come into play regarding this issue.
“In my experience speaking with patients and interacting with Black people in my community, they are often afraid of colonoscopies and resent the notion of having a foreign device go up their behind,” Dr. Gray said. “ There’s also the issue of having no insurance coverage to pay for the screenings or treatments needed if they’re diagnosed.”
Phalon Ervin can attest to this. The 37-year-old single mother self-diagnosed her painful bowel and stomach symptoms as colorectal cancer when she was just 28 but didn’t seek treatment because she had no insurance coverage.
“I was experiencing all of the big symptoms of the cancer: bloating, fatigue, rectal bleeding, involuntary weight loss and stool changes,” she said. “After a quick Google search, I knew I had colorectal cancer.”
As a new college graduate, a mother and temp worker, she said she was more concerned about