Blacks and whites are equally likely to need follow-up after colorectal screening, but blacks are less likely to get follow-up, U. S. researchers have said.

Study author Dr. Adeyinka O. Laiyemo of the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, says in a statement, "Our research suggests that the biology of colorectal cancer may not differ by race, at least in the early stages of tumor development. Instead, healthcare utilization differences among races may play a more important role in colorectal cancer disparities."

Laiyemo further says that in the United States, African-Americans have higher colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to whites.

In the study, 57,561 whites and 3,011 blacks were screened for colorectal cancer using flexible sigmoidoscopy and 23.9 percent of the white participants and 25.5 percent of the black participants had abnormal results.

It was found by the study that 72.4 percent of whites and 62.6 percent of blacks received a follow-up colonoscopy. However, the study also found black participants were more likely to have cancer in the upper part of the colon not viewed during a sigmoidoscopy.

The researchers said that the reasons African-Americans had lower follow-up rates are unknown. (With Inputs from Agencies)