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Study Finds Blacks Have Lower Cancer Survival Rates While the overall cancer death rate in African Americans has continued to decrease since the early 1990s, African American men and women still suffer more from the disease than other racial groups, according to a newly released report by the American Cancer Society. The report, "Cancer Facts & Fig-ures for African Americans 2007-2008," shows that the overall cancer death rate in African Americans was 35 percent higher in African American men and 18 percent higher in African Ameri-can women than in white men and women in the most recent time period (2003). However, the disparity among men has narrowed over the past 10 years because rates have decreased faster in African Americans than whites. According to the report, approximate-ly 153,000 of the 1.4 million cases of invasive cancer diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007 will be among African Ame-ricans, as well as almost 63,000 of the estimated 560,000 deaths from cancer. The most common cancers diagnosed in African American men are prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum; among African American women, cancers of the breast, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum are the most commonly diagnosed. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in both African American men and women, followed by prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Although African Americans have experienced high death rates from cancer for many years, the situation is improving, especially in men. The death rate from all cancers combined has decreased an average of 1.7 percent per year from 1995 to 2003 among African Americans, compared to 1.0 percent per year among whites from 1992 to 2003. Still some key statistics in the report show a continuing racial divide: African Americans have the highest death rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers. Death rates from prostate cancer are 2.4 times higher in African American men compared to white men; among women, breast cancer death rates are 1.4 times higher among African Americans than whites. Although death rates are declining for colorectal cancer and breast cancer among both African Americans and whites, declines are smaller for African Americans resulting in widening disparities. African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage when there are fewer and less effective treatment options. In general, African Americans are less likely than whites to survive five years after diagnosis for all major cancer sites even after accounting for differences in stage at diagnosis. The cancer death rates for African American men and women in New York are much lower than the national average. The cancer death rates for African Americans in New Jersey are quite similar to the national averages for both men and women with men fairing slightly better and women a bit below the national figures. Lung, prostate and colon cancer death rates are down in New York and New Jersey. Programs such as Brother to Brother and Sister to Sister are support groups focused specifically on African Ameri-cans with cancer. Free and low cost breast and cervical cancer screenings are available to women without insurance. Additionally, the American Cancer Society has convened the first Mam-mography Strike Force in the country to identify and address issues that have resulted in a decline in mammography rates. "As the nation celebrates Black History month in February, this report makes clear there is a need for more focus on improving socioeconomic factors and providing educational opportunities that can help further lessen cancer's unequal burden on African Americans," said Lernard Freeman, Community Executive, for the American Cancer Society's community office in Upper Manhattan. Socioeconomic factors that can affect cancer prevention and early detection include behaviors such as tobacco avoidance and maintenance of a healthy body weight. The proportion of overweight U.S. adults has increased markedly over the past decades. Among African American adults, 76 percent are considered overweight and 45 percent are considered obese. Inequalities in education, income, and health insurance coverage, as well as social barriers to high quality cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment contri-bute to a lower five-year survival rate for many cancers in African Ameri-cans compared to whites. For more information about cancer, call the American Cancer Society 24 hours a day at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
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