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DisparitiesYear in Review: Cancer Research Insights from 2019
Overall, the US cancer death rate is continuing to decrease, but there’s more to that story. Throughout 2019, the recurring themes of cancer research news included the link between obesity and cancer, increased rates of certain cancers in people younger than 50, and continued barriers to cancer care due to poverty, race, where people live, and other factors. Here are 10 of the stories that made headlines in 2019 based on the work of American Cancer Society (ACS) staff and funded researchers.
Researchers Set Goals for Improving Access to Cancer Care
Research has shown that improvements in cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and follow-up care help to reduce the number of people who die from cancer. “But all populations and communities don’t benefit because they don’t have equal access to these services,” said Robin Yabroff, PhD. To meet the needs of all people will require widespread changes in US healthcare , because breakdowns in care can happen at any point from prevention to the end of life, she said.
Report: Social Determinants Must Be Addressed to Advance Health Equity
Overall, the rate of people dying from cancer in the United States has been getting lower for about the last 25 years. That progress, though, hasn’t been equitable. Everyone doesn’t have the same access to the advances in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship. "We need to find solutions for better health where people live, work, and play, not only within the health care system,” said Kassandra Alcaraz, PhD, MPH. She's a co-author of a new report that addressed strategies to reduce these disparities.
The Cancer Atlas, Third Edition, Shows Progress Against Cancer Is Achievable
The American Cancer Society released the third edition of The Cancer Atlas, a comprehensive guide to cancer around the world. Describing the inequities among the global cancer burden, it concludes that progress in the fight against cancer is not only possible, but also achievable.
Study: Lack of Education About Melanoma May Contribute to Black-White Survival Disparities
t’s true that people with darker skin have a lower risk of melanoma. But as a recent study showed, it’s also true that non-Hispanic black Americans are more likely to have lower survival rates when they are diagnosed. That’s partly because compared with non-Hispanic whites, people with darker skin are more often diagnosed with later-stage melanoma (after it’s spread). It’s also because the most common type of melanoma among non-Hispanic blacks—called acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM)—has a lower survival rate.
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Cancer Survivors Face Challenges
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual cancer survivors have a lower quality of life than heterosexual cancer survivors, according to a study by Boston University and Harvard University researchers.
American Cancer Society Sets Goal to Reduce US Cancer Death Rates 40% by 2035
If people didn’t smoke, ate less meat and more fruits and vegetables, exercised more, and followed cancer screening guidelines, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates its new challenge goal of reducing cancer death rates by 40% by 2035 could be achieved.
Death Rates from Liver Cancer Are Increasing, Especially in Men with Less Education
Liver cancer is the fastest growing cause of cancer death in the United States, and the increase is mainly among adults who have less education, especially men, according to a new study by American Cancer Society (ACS). The study was led by Jiemin Ma, PhD, MHS, and published online April 8, 2019 in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the ACS.
