Access to care for the highly preventable disease is thought to be behind why Black Americans are 20% more likely to receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis than any other racial or ethnic group.
The investigators say acute appendicitis is likely an early warning sign for colon cancer, not a cause of it. The study covered was published as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed.
The Affordable Care Act made preventive healthcare free of charge to patients without cost sharing. But there is wiggle room about when a procedure was done for screening, vs for a diagnosis.