Health disparities and cancer: racial disparities in cancer mortality in the United States, 2000-2010.

Eileen B O’Keefe,Traci N Bethea,Jeremy P Meltzer

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2015.00051

Abstract

Declining cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) have continued through the first decade of the twenty-first century. Reductions in tobacco use, greater uptake of prevention measures, adoption of early detection methods, and improved treatments have resulted in improved outcomes for both men and women. However, Black Americans continue to have the higher cancer mortality rates and shorter survival times. This review discusses and compares the cancer mortality rates and mortality trends for Blacks and Whites. The complex relationship between socioeconomic status and race and its contribution to racial cancer disparities is discussed. Based on current trends and the potential and limitations of the patient protection and affordable care act with its mandate to reduce health care inequities, future trends, and challenges in cancer mortality disparities in the U.S. are explored.

Highlights

Cancer mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) began to decline in the early 1990s, following favorable trends in cancer risk factor reduction, such as reduced tobacco smoking among adults, more widespread cancer screening and testing, and improved cancer therapies [1]
This review focuses on lung, colorectal, female breast, and prostate cancer – cancers with high incidence rates and high mortality rates using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, and on factors contributing to cancer disparities
The affordable care act (ACA) addresses these issues in a number of ways: through improved access to care, the requirement of essential benefits, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Advisory Panel on Addressing Disparities

Summary

Introduction

Cancer mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) began to decline in the early 1990s, following favorable trends in cancer risk factor reduction, such as reduced tobacco smoking among adults, more widespread cancer screening and testing, and improved cancer therapies [1]. This decline has continued through the first decade of the twenty-first century. Black-Americans continue to have the highest cancer mortality and shortest survival time among racial or ethnic groups, with the exception of American-Indian/Alaska-Natives. This review focuses on lung, colorectal, female breast, and prostate cancer – cancers with high incidence rates (lung, colon/rectum, female breast, and prostate) and high mortality rates (lung and colon/rectum) using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, and on factors contributing to cancer disparities

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion