Disparities in Cancer Care

Judith Karp, MD; Azra Raza, MD; and Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD, highlight the decades-long evolution of the leukemia field and express challenges such as defining the causes of leukemia and developing therapies to treat the disease and mitigate adverse effects like bone pain.

Suneel Kamath, MD, discusses the importance of including underrepresented patient populations in clinical trials.

The US Preventive Services Task Force updated its lung cancer screening guidelines in 2021 to include more members of vulnerable populations, including African Americans, women, and the LGBTQ community.

Suneel Kamath, MD, discusses the findings from research he conducted evaluating the effect of financial and racial disparities on cancer incidence and mortality.

Adana A.M. Llanos, PhD, MPH, discusses how to recognize social determinants of disparities in cancer care.

Black patients were less likely to be included in clinical trials that investigate newer treatments for metastatic breast cancer, despite having the highest death rate and shortest survival outcomes when compared with other racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

Sanjay Goel, MD, MS, discusses the need for diverse representation in clinical trials.

Denalee O'Malley, PhD, sheds light on racial and ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening, and strategies that can be used to address existing barriers in the clinic and beyond.

Denalee O'Malley, PhD, discusses racial and economic barriers to colorectal screening in colorectal cancer.

Rates of negative surgical margins and adequate lymphadenectomies were lower in Black patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer compared with White patients, according to data from a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

Sajid A. Khan MD, FACS, FSSO, discusses findings from the study on racial disparities in surgical outcomes and quality of care for GI tract cancer, plus what issues need to be addressed to close the gap in care.

Ruben A. Mesa, MD, discusses the different disparities that are known to affect cancer care and key efforts being made to address them.

Ruben A. Mesa, MD, discusses various determinants of disparities in cancer care.

Alexander B. Olawaiye, MD, discusses how to address disparities in cancer care.

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death in the United States.

The risk of cancer-specific mortality in breast cancer was increased for younger adult Black female patients compared with younger adult White female patients.

Traditional eligibility criteria for pancreatic cancer clinical trials reinforce underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trial candidacy and skew standards of care in favor of non-Hispanic White participants.

Fewer African American and Hispanic patients participated in oncology trials from 2003 to 2016 than from 1996 to 2002.

Women of all races and ethnicities who were referred to a colposcopy clinic for cervical cancer screening following an abnormal Pap smear during the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher likelihood of not adhering to their appointment compared with appointment data collected prior to the pandemic.

Data from a retrospective observational study revealed that White patients with hematologic malignancies in the United States had significantly higher uptake of telemedicine vs Black patients, reflecting disparities that require further exploration.

Benny Weksler, MD, MBA, FACS, FACCP, discusses efforts being made at Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute to address disparities in the delivery of care and its impact on the screening and treatment of lung cancer.

Cataldo Doria, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, discusses key presentations and objectives for the 2nd Annual Capital Health Cancer Center Conference.

Alexander B. Olawaiye, MD, discusses how social and biological determinants can affect care outcomes across cancer subtypes and what steps community and academic oncologists can take to ensure these disparities are recognized.

Alexander B. Olawaiye, MD, discusses the social and biological determinants of disparities in women’s cancer.

One of the primary goals of the ECOG-ACRIN Health Equity Committee is to continue addressing disparities that limit the representation of minority populations in cancer clinical trials.

Many Americans, particularly those in communities of color or socially and economically challenged populations, are presenting with advanced-stage disease, enduring aggressive treatment, and dying from cancers that should be detected early.

Anna Woloszynska, PhD, discusses the role of community outreach in addressing disparities in prostate cancer.

Health care disparities remain a major issue in cancer care, and factors contributing to this inequality stretch far beyond access to clinical care.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network is one of many organizations that is taking a stand against inequity in health care by aligning themselves with the new 3-year campaign, entitled “Close the Care Gap,” led by the Union for International Cancer Control.

The Biden-Harris administration has announced a plan to restart the Cancer Moonshot initiative, which President Joe Biden first launched as vice president of the Obama administration in 2016.