The overall cancer death rate in the United States has decreased by 33% between 1991 and 2020, but significant disparities remain among different racial and ethnic groups, according to the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024.
The report highlights that Black and Indigenous individuals have the highest overall cancer death rates in the U.S., despite lower incidence rates compared to the white population. For example, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men, and Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, despite similar incidence rates.
The report also reveals disparities based on geographic location, with rural residents 38% more likely to be diagnosed with and die from lung cancer compared to those in urban areas. Additionally, cancer mortality rates are 22% higher in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Dr. Robert A. Winn, chair of the report’s steering committee, emphasized the importance of considering social drivers of health, including ZIP code and neighborhood association, in addressing health inequities.
The report calls for increased funding for cancer research and prevention, greater diversity in clinical trials and biospecimens, and policies to ensure equitable patient care. It also highlights some progress, such as the narrowing gap in overall cancer mortality between Black and white populations from 33% in 1990 to 11.3% in 2020.
AACR CEO Dr. Margaret Foti stressed the need to make health equity a national priority, stating, “It is crucial that we ensure that no populations or communities are left behind.”
See “Cancer Disparities: The Gaps and Encouraging Progress” (May 15, 2024)
