Colorectal cancer in African-Americans: addressing the need for further research and research utilization

Research on colorectal cancer and screening has lagged behind when compared to other cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of colorectal cancer including risks, development of the cancer, and screening and early detection recommendations. A critical analysis of nurse-initiated research on colorectal cancer in African-Americans, published in nursing research-intensive journals, was conducted to further the understanding of the factors that influence these disparities. The findings indicated that this body of research is very sparse. Given this fact, nurses need to consider the types of research that are being conducted and where this research is published. Given the current focus on health disparities, it is time that nurses step into the forefront to lead the way in research and research utilization. It is crucial that we start to see real and significant decreases in colorectal cancer disparities in African-Americans.