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 Death rates due to cancer are rising
among African Americans. Lack of screening, early detection and higher
incidences of obesity and smoking may be some of the reasons. The racial
disparity gap in health care is a multifaceted problem. Issues include the types
of accessible healthcare, avoidance of healthcare providers, and complacency.
Once we receive healthcare the question of efficacy of treatment, provider
experience, specialty, bias, and our economic factors add another layer of
potential challenges.
From 1997 through 2001, the average annual death
rate per 100,000 people for all cancers combined was 252 for African Americans,
200 for white Americans, 136 for Hispanics, 135 for American Indians/Alaska
Natives, and 122 for Asians/Pacific Islanders. Overall, African Americans are
more likely to develop cancer than persons of any other racial or ethnic group.
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Black Men |
Black Women |
Leading Cancers
Prostate
Lung
Colorectal
Kidney and Renal Pelvis |
Leading Cancers
Breast
Colorectal
Lung
Uterus (not including cervix) |
Leading Cause of Cancer Death
Lung
Prostate
Colorectal
Pancreas |
Leading Cause of Cancer Death
Lung
Breast
Colorectal |
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Cancer incidence and death rates for men are highest
among blacks, followed by whites, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific
Islanders. |
Cancer death rates for women are highest among
blacks, followed by whites, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. |
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Prostate cancer incidence rates are about 3.5 times
higher among black men than among Asian/Pacific Islander men, and
prostate cancer death rates are almost 6 times higher among black
men than among Asian/Pacific Islander men. |
Breast cancer death rates are about 2.7 times higher
among black women than among Asian/Pacific Islander women. |
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Among men, lung cancer incidence rates are about 2.8
times higher among blacks than among Asian/Pacific Islanders. Lung
cancer death rates are about 2.7 times higher among black men than
among Hispanic men. |
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Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United
States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
National Cancer Institute; 2004
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