Blacks and Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps compared with whites

Blacks and Hispanics also have a higher risk of developing polyps in the upper portion of the colon, compared with whites. Blacks and Hispanics are roughly twice as likely to have advanced adenomas - polyps 10 mm or larger that exhibited aggressive features under microscopic examination - compared with whites, after adjusting for factors such as age and family history. These are the kinds of polyps that we are most concerned may eventually develop into cancer. Previous studies has shown that colorectal cancer incidence and mortality are higher in blacks than in whites, and that blacks are typically younger at the time of diagnosis than are whites.