Collectively, blacks have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the US for most cancers.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 202,260 new cancer cases and 73,030 cancer deaths are expected to occur among Blacks in 2019. African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial and ethnic group in the US for most cancers. Since 1990, however, the overall cancer death rate has dropped faster in Blacks than whites among% both men and women, largely driven by more rapid declines in Blacks for cancers of the lung, colrectum, and prostate. As a result of this progress, the Black-white disparity in cancer mortality has narrowed and more than 462,000 cancer deaths in Blacks were avoided over the past 25 years. Cancer facts such as these are presented in the updated edition of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans. This publication also provides the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, screening, and risk factors.
Collectively, blacks have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the US for most cancers. Black men also have the highest incidence rate. The causes of these inequalities are complex and reflect social and economic disparities and cultural differences that reflect cancer risk, as well as differences in access to high-quality care, more than biological differences. Socioeconomic disparities result in unequal access to opportunities and resources, such as work, wealth, income, education, housing, healthy food and overall standard of living. Structural racism- the combination of institutions, culture, history, ideology, and codified practices that generate and perpetuate inequality among racial and ethnic groups – also contribute to disparate health outcomes.
Can Cancer Be Prevented?
A substantial proportion of cancers could be prevented, including all cancers caused by tobacco use. Among all racial/ethnic groups combined in the US, at least of newly diagnosed are potentially avoidable, including the 19% caused by smoking and that the 18% that are caused by a combination of excess body weight, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption and poor nutrition. Many cancers are caused by infectious organisms and could be prevented through behavioral changes, vaccination, or treatment of the infection.