Colorectal cancer is a very serious form of the disease, and is the third most diagnosed cancer in the country.

Colorectal cancer is also the third leading cause of cancer related death in America.

A new report released by the American Cancer Society says that early detection through screening and the use of colonoscopies are catching more cases of the disease thus allowing for treatment to be started before the disease has a chance to take hold, but fewer blacks than whites are going for testing, therefore their cancers are not being caught as early.

In the time period ending in 2005, and beginning in 2000, blacks were found to be at a 45% higher risk than whites of dying from colorectal cancer, and 20% more likely to be diagnosed with it.

"Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates have been declining among the general population in the United States for some time," said Elizabeth Ward, one of the report's authors.

"We are seeing much greater declines among whites than among African Americans. And we think the primary reason for that is different access to and utilization of colorectal cancer screening tests," Ward added.

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