CDC Features

CDC Features

Health Disparities in Cancer

Racial and ethnic minorities suffer more from cancer than the United States population as a whole. To end inequalities in cancer, we must work harder to prevent cancer, promote healthy lifestyles, and make sure all people with cancer get proper health care.

Photo: a group of people Health disparities (inequalities) are differences between one group of people and another. Many groups are affected by disparities, including racial and ethnic minorities, people living in rural areas, women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Life expectancy and overall health have improved in recent years for most Americans, but not all Americans are benefiting equally.

According to the United States Cancer Statistics: 2005 Incidence and Mortality¹ report:

For men, for all cancers combined:
- Incidence rates are highest among black men, followed by white, Hispanic*, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native men.
- Death rates are highest among black men, followed by white, Hispanic*, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander men.
For women, for all cancers combined:
- Incidence rates are highest among white women, followed by black, Hispanic*, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.
- Death rates are highest among black women, followed by white, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic*, and Asian/Pacific Islander women.

*Hispanics may be of any race.

What CDC Is Doing

Photo: Two women CDC supports research and awareness activities to reduce health disparities in cancer. Activities include:

In partnership with the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries and the Indian Health Service (IHS), CDC is working to reduce racial misclassification among American Indians and Alaska Natives reported by cancer registries. In collaboration with IHS, CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control supports a program to address the higher rate of colorectal cancer among Alaska Natives, which includes a training program on flexible sigmoidoscopy. CDC also published articles in the journal Cancer that focus on Cancers in American Indians and Alaska Natives.
CDC developed the African-American Women and Mass Media pilot campaign, which uses radio and print media to make more women aware of the importance of getting mammograms to find breast cancer early.
CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides mammograms and Pap smears and breast and cervical cancer treatment to low-income, medically underserved, and uninsured women through states, tribes, and territories.
CDC's National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program provides seed money, structure, and support for Comprehensive Cancer Control plans in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 7 tribes, and 7 U.S. Associated Pacific Islands and territories. Many of the plans include strategies to eliminate cancer disparities.
CDC's Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program funds five pilot community sites across the country to provide colorectal cancer screening to low-income men and women who have inadequate or no health insurance coverage.
CDC funds the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network which works with communities and partners to find ways to increase screening for cancer and reduce health disparities related to cancer.

¹U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2005 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Washington, DC: National Cancer Institute; 2009. Available at www.cdc.gov/uscs.