Cancer mortality rates decline, health disparities persist

While cancer mortality rates declined in the U.S. between 2000 and 2020, racial and ethnic disparities persisted for many cancers, a study published January 12 in JAMA Health Forum found. The overall cancer mortality rate ratio between Black and white individuals decreased during the study period. However, the ratio increased for female breast cancer and male colorectal cancer, and disparities remained for prostate, male lung and bronchus, and female colorectal cancer, according to the study led by Anjali Gupta and Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD, from Duke University in Durham, NC. “Our results underscore the importance of sustained, focused efforts to reduce cancer burden among Black patients across the continuum of cancer care,” Gupta and Akinyemiju wrote. A report by the American Cancer Society suggests that cancer mortality has declined by one-third since 1991. This can be attributed to improvements in prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. For breast cancer, this includes advancements in screening mammography technology and supplemental imaging such as ultrasound and MRI. For lung cancer, this includes low-dose CT and identifying who is eligible for screening. However, the researchers noted that despite these advancements, racial and ethnic disparities persist. Previous studies show that non-Hispanic Black patients often face worse health outcomes than non-Hispanic white patients. Gupta and Akinyemiju described cancer mortality disparities between Black and whit...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Breast Imaging Chest Radiology Genitourinary Radiology Source Type: news