Overview of Cancer Disparities

Through its body of work, the American Cancer Society is the leader in the effort to eliminate cancer disparities

Four leadership roles and two “pillars” of support—Advocacy and Addressing Disparities—are embraced by our organization nationwide and they are clearly providing the foundation and direction for most of the work underway throughout the organization. As the diagram indicates, Advocacy and Addressing Disparities cut across the four Leadership Roles. This is because we believe that each role, Information, Research, Quality of Life, and Prevention/Early Detection play a very important role in eliminating cancer disparities and policy development. For the foreseeable future, cancer control in poor and underserved communities will receive significant American Cancer Society emphasis.


Core Areas

The core areas of emphasis for ACS disparities activities are:

Ensuring Access to Health Care

The poor and underserved populations’ lack of access to health care limits the ability of the Society to carry out its mission of saving lives from cancer. While many factors limit access, including socioeconomic status, provider and insurer attitudes about race/ethnicity, age, and geography, in the United States today, health insurance coverage is arguably the single greatest determinant of access to health care services.

Translating Research into Action

It is critical the educational and behavior change activities, programs, and interventions of the Society and our community partners be

  • based on scientific evidence,
  • focused on achieving defined outcomes
  • subject to planned evaluation. Communities need to know the programs they are implementing are effective.

Examples of evidence-based programs are:

  • Health Insurance Assistance Program
  • Patient Navigation
  • Body and Soul

Building Community Partnerships

The American Cancer Society works at all levels with cancer and community-based organizations and agencies to achieve our common cancer control goals and objectives.

Information and Education

Informed decision-making is critical to cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and improved quality of life. The American Cancer Society delivers accurate, unbiased, timely information in a form that is easily accessible, understood, and culturally appropriate.

Disparities Strategic Planning

An Interdisciplinary Strategy Group was created in 2006 to focus the Society on prioritizing and organizing its work to address disparities. In 2007, a new strategic plan for disparities will be developed and recruitment of senior leadership is expected to be completed by Fall.