Open AccessRacial/Ethnic Disparities in Lost Earnings From Cancer Deaths in the United States
Author(s) -
Jingxuan Zhao,
Kimberly D. Miller,
Farhad Islami,
Zhiyuan Zheng,
Xuesong Han,
Jiemin Ma,
Ahmedin Jemal,
K. Robin Yabroff
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jnci cancer spectrum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.345
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2515-5091
DOI - 10.1093/jncics/pkaa038
Subject(s) - medicine , demography , earnings , life expectancy , pacific islanders , ethnic group , years of potential life lost , gerontology , cancer , health equity , environmental health , population , public health , finance , nursing , sociology , anthropology , economics
Background Little is known about disparities in economic burden due to premature cancer deaths by race or ethnicity in the United States. This study aimed to compare person-years of life lost (PYLLs) and lost earnings due to premature cancer deaths by race/ethnicity. Methods PYLLs were calculated using recent national cancer death and life expectancy data. PYLLs were combined with annual median earnings to generate lost earnings. We compared PYLLs and lost earnings among individuals who died at age 16-84 years due to cancer by racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic [NH] White, NH Black, NH Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic). Results In 2015, PYLLs due to all premature cancer deaths were 6 512 810 for NH Whites, 1 196 709 for NH Blacks, 279 721 for NH Asian or Pacific Islanders, and 665 968 for Hispanics, translating to age-standardized lost earning rates (per 100 000 person-years) of $34.9 million, $43.5 million, $22.2 million, and $24.5 million, respectively. NH Blacks had higher age-standardized PYLL and lost earning rates than NH Whites for 13 of 19 selected cancer sites. If age-specific PYLL and lost earning rates for NH Blacks were the same as those of NH Whites, 241 334 PYLLs and $3.2 billion lost earnings (22.6% of the total lost earnings among NH Blacks) would have been avoided. Disparities were also observed for average PYLLs and lost earnings per cancer death for all cancers combined and 18 of 19 cancer sites. Conclusions Improving equal access to effective cancer prevention, screening, and treatment will be important in reducing the disproportional economic burden associated with racial/ethnic disparities.