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The African-American cancer crisis, Part I: The problem
1Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
|January 1, 1993
Summary
African Americans face the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the U.S., with significant disparities compared to white Americans. This widening gap highlights an urgent need to address the unique challenges in Black cancer experiences.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment have improved for many Americans over 40 years.
- However, significant racial disparities in cancer burden persist within the United States.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in cancer incidence and mortality among African Americans compared to other racial/ethnic groups.
- To highlight the widening disparities and the need for greater attention to the Black cancer experience.
Main Methods:
- Review of site-specific cancer data from 1950 to the present.
- Analysis of age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality rates by race/ethnicity.
Main Results:
- African Americans exhibit the highest age-adjusted rates of cancer incidence and mortality.
- Significantly higher incidence and mortality rates for numerous cancer types (lung, prostate, breast, colon, etc.) in Black individuals compared to white individuals.
- The disparity gap between Black and white Americans is dramatically increasing.
Conclusions:
- The current cancer statistics reveal a critical and widening disparity for African Americans.
- There is a pressing need for cancer researchers, policymakers, and institutions to fully acknowledge and address the distinct Black cancer experience.