Cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities in the United States

Bibliographic Data

ID23348766
AuthorsValentina A Zavala (0000-0003-2040-1760, University of California, San Francisco), Paige M Bracci (0000-0001-9338-9307, University of California, San Francisco), John M Carethers (0000-0003-2623-7332, University of Michigan), Luis G Carvajal‐Carmona (0000-0001-7129-2918, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center), Nicole B Coggins (University of California, Davis), Marcia Cruz‐Correa (0000-0001-8147-7457, University of Puerto Rico System), Marcia R Cruz-Correa, Melissa Davis (0000-0001-8058-447X), Melissa B Davis (0000-0002-6124-6923, Cornell University), Adam J de Smith (0000-0003-4880-7543, University of Southern California), Julie Dutil (0000-0002-0313-6443, Ponce Health Sciences University), Jane C Figueiredo (0000-0002-2452-3194, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center), Rena Fox, Rena K Fox (0000-0002-9883-3603, University of California, San Francisco), Kristi D Graves (0000-0001-8808-1631, Georgetown University), Scarlett Lin Gomez (0000-0002-5143-4867, University of California, San Francisco), Andrea Llera, Andrea S Llera (0000-0002-0089-0061, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Susan L Neuhausen (0000-0001-5053-0390, City of Hope), Lisa Newman (0000-0002-4006-2885), Lisa A Newman (0000-0003-2059-0477, NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital), Tung T Nguyen (0000-0001-9897-6551, University of California, San Francisco), Tung Nguyen (0000-0002-5215-383X), Julie R Palmer (0000-0002-6534-335X, Boston University), Nynikka R Palmer (0000-0002-5311-447X, San Francisco General Hospital), Eliseo J Pérez-Stable (0000-0002-1577-2738, National Institutes of Health), Sorbarikor Piawah (0000-0002-1655-6113, University of California, San Francisco), Erik J Rodriquez (0000-0002-7456-4218, National Institutes of Health), María Carolina Sanabria-Salas, María Carolina Sanabria‐Salas (0000-0002-7946-2026, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología), Stephanie L Schmit (0000-0001-5931-1194, Moffitt Cancer Center), Silvia J Serrano-Gomez, Silvia J Serrano‐Gómez (0000-0002-4144-2556, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología), Mariana C Stern (0000-0001-9777-4683, University of Southern California), Jeffrey N Weitzel (0000-0001-6714-092X, City of Hope), Jeffrey Weitzel, Jun J Yang (0000-0002-0770-9659, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Jovanny Zabaleta (0000-0002-5961-6761, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans), Elad Ziv (0000-0002-2324-2884, University of California, San Francisco), Laura Fejerman (0000-0003-3179-1151, University of California, San Francisco, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume124
Issue2
Pages315-332
Publication date2021-01-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Cancer (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0920 • E-ISSN: 1532-1827
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1038/s41416-020-01038-6
PMID32901135
OpenAlexW3084362113
LanguageEN
Citations received55
References cited340

There are well-established disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes by race/ethnicity that result from the interplay between structural, socioeconomic, socio-environmental, behavioural and biological factors. However, large research studies designed to investigate factors contributing to cancer aetiology and progression have mainly focused on populations of European origin. The limitations in clinicopathological and genetic data, as well as the reduced availability of biospecimens from diverse populations, contribute to the knowledge gap and have the potential to widen cancer health disparities. In this review, we summarise reported disparities and associated factors in the United States of America (USA) for the most common cancers (breast, prostate, lung and colon), and for a subset of other cancers that highlight the complexity of disparities (gastric, liver, pancreas and leukaemia). We focus on populations commonly identified and referred to as racial/ethnic minorities in the USA—African Americans/Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders and Hispanics/Latinos. We conclude that even though substantial progress has been made in understanding the factors underlying cancer health disparities, marked inequities persist. Additional efforts are needed to include participants from diverse populations in the research of cancer aetiology, biology and treatment. Furthermore, to eliminate cancer health disparities, it will be necessary to facilitate access to, and utilisation of, health services to all individuals, and to address structural inequities, including racism, that disproportionally affect racial/ethnic minorities in the USA.

Cancer · Environmental health · Ethnic group · Health equity · Pacific islanders · Pathology · Political science · Population · Public health · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics · Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection · Demography · Global Cancer Incidence and Screening · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Gerontology