Open AccessAmerican Cancer Society's report on the status of cancer disparities in the United States, 2021
Author(s) -
Islami Farhad,
Guerra Carmen E.,
Minihan Adair,
Yabroff K. Robin,
Fedewa Stacey A.,
Sloan Kirsten,
Wiedt Tracy L.,
Thomson Blake,
Siegel Rebecca L.,
Nargis Nigar,
Winn Robert A.,
Lacasse Lisa,
Makaroff Laura,
Daniels Elvan C.,
Patel Alpa V.,
Cance William G.,
Jemal Ahmedin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ca: a cancer journal for clinicians
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 62.937
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1542-4863
pISSN - 0007-9235
DOI - 10.3322/caac.21703
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , medicine , health equity , ethnic group , demography , cancer , medicaid , psychological intervention , receipt , environmental health , gerontology , mortality rate , public health , population , health care , political science , pathology , psychiatry , sociology , world wide web , computer science , law
In this report, the authors provide comprehensive and up‐to‐date US data on disparities in cancer occurrence, major risk factors, and access to and utilization of preventive measures and screening by sociodemographic characteristics. They also review programs and resources that have reduced cancer disparities and provide policy recommendations to further mitigate these inequalities. The overall cancer death rate is 19% higher among Black males than among White males. Black females also have a 12% higher overall cancer death rate than their White counterparts despite having an 8% lower incidence rate. There are also substantial variations in death rates for specific cancer types and in stage at diagnosis, survival, exposure to risk factors, and receipt of preventive measures and screening by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. For example, kidney cancer death rates by sex among American Indian/Alaska Native people are ≥64% higher than the corresponding rates in each of the other racial/ethnic groups, and the 5‐year relative survival for all cancers combined is 14% lower among residents of poorer counties than among residents of more affluent counties. Broad and equitable implementation of evidence‐based interventions, such as increasing health insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion or other initiatives, could substantially reduce cancer disparities. However, progress will require not only equitable local, state, and federal policies but also broad interdisciplinary engagement to elevate and address fundamental social inequities and longstanding systemic racism.