Report outlines racial disparities in cancer health
The American Association for Cancer Research published its first-ever progress report on cancer disparities, outlining the complex reasons why they exist and a plan for how the country can overcome them.
The report comes at a crucial time during the coronavirus pandemic, when federal officials and institutions are thinking more critically about racial disparities in health care.
This report is not the first of its kind in the medical community, but is a noteworthy step in the right direction for the AACR, experts say.
“As a scientific society, they’re making a statement to the world that health equity and cancer disparities are of such critical importance,” said Dr. Carol Brown, senior vice president and chief health equity officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “This report is giving (scientists) the guiding light to show them how to help.”
According to the report:
● Black men have a prostate cancer death rate more than twice that of white men.
● Hispanic children are 20% more likely to develop leukemia than nonHispanic white children.
● Asian/Pacific Islander adults are twice as likely to die of stomach cancer as white adults.
● Native American/Alaskan Native adults are twice as likely to develop liver and bile duct cancer as white adults.
Researchers note many of these cancer-rate disparities exist for COVID-19.
● Hispanic people account for about 18% of the U.S. population, but 34% of COVID-19 cases.
● Black people account for about 13% of the population, but 20% of COVID-19 cases and 23% of deaths.
● Native American/Alaskan Native rates of hospitalization are five times higher for COVID-19 than white people.
The report’s authors identified many factors that contribute to cancer health disparities, calling them “complex and interrelated.” The most important included education and income, access to
health care, tobacco use and obesity, housing and genetic factors.
“Many of these gaps have persisted for decades since rates and demographics have been tracked,” said Dr. John Carpten, chair of the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2020 Steering Committee. “To close the overall gaps we have to take a multipronged interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interplay between factors.”
Researchers not only pinpointed cancer disparities, but also disparities in cancer screenings and treatment. According to the report, white people are significantly more likely to be up to date with colorectal cancer screening than Hispanic people, about 63% versus 47%. Black patients with bile duct cancer are 50% less likely to have surgery compared with patients who are white.
Brown says participation in cancer trials is an “extremely effective” way to reduce and eliminate cancer disparities and achieve cancer health equity.
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