Cancer deaths among African-Americans have been steadily declining in recent years, but are still much higher than they should be.
For most types of cancer, blacks continue to have the highest death rate – and shortest survival – of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported recently in a sweeping review of African-Americans and cancer.
All too often, when cancer is diagnosed in an African-American patient, the disease is more advanced and harder to beat, the scientists found.
The issue has more to do with social and economic disparities – and a lack of early screening – than any biological differences associated with race, the scientists concluded. Inequalities in wealth, education and health insurance are partly to blame.
But cancer also is not being detected early enough.
As a result, more than 63,000 African-Americans will die from cancer this year.
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