Cancer disparity gets a closer look
Major cancer research organizations are banding together to assess how cancer disparity research will move forward. In the first collaboration of its kind, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) announced Feb. 13 that the institute would be working with the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to address concerns such as access to health care and factors related to variability of cancer outcomes.
African-American males are reportedly 33 percent more likely to die of cancer than other demographics. Cancer-related deaths among African-American females are also 16 percent higher than for white females. Issues of socioeconomic status and eligibility for insurance are also topics that appear to have an impact on cancer rates. The new think tank endeavors to focus research looking into why these disparities exist and how to ameliorate them.
“Even though great strides have been made in cancer prevention and treatment, more than 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with this terrible disease this year, and a disproportionately high burden of cancer will fall on racial and ethnic minorities, low-income and elderly populations, and the medically underserved,” said AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, PhD, MD. “The AACR is committed to eliminating cancer health disparities through all means possible. The organization is, therefore, privileged to join this unprecedented collaboration to develop a strategy to promote cooperation among investigators in all areas of the cancer disparities research community to make sure that cancer research counts for all patients, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, or the communities in which they live.”
Representatives from areas of healthcare policy, public heath and epidemiology were brought together for the collaboration to create recommendations that would serve as a roadmap for further policy making and funding opportunities. It was noted that cancer mortality rates were decreasing for minority populations, but 'absolute' death rates have only climbed higher.
“We have made great progress in documenting disparities in cancer; however, we still face significant challenges in reducing their impact on outcomes,” said ASCO President Clifford A. Hudis, M.D., FACP. “We must move from describing the problems to more quickly identifying and implementing solutions to address the racial and economic-based disparities that continue to affect many cancer patients and families in the United States. ASCO is honored to participate in this unique partnership that will ultimately help bring higher quality cancer care to all individuals.”