subject: Cancer Mortality And Racial Implications [print this page] A significantly higher number of African Americans die from cancer than Caucasians - a recent study corroborates statistical figures that seem to remain almost unchanged from as early as 1981.
While the death rate for cancer has drastically decreased in the recent past, the gap between the death rate in Caucasians and African Americans still remains the same. African Americans seem to be at more risk to die from cancer than Caucasians.
African American women have a higher death rate than Caucasians women, compared to the percentage in 1981. For African American men, the higher death rate as compared to Caucasians men remains almost the same as before.
Estrogen receptive (ER) negative breast cancers are likely to be developed more by black women than white women. The ER negative breast cancer is more deadly than the breast tumors that are ER positive.
Still, this biological disparity does not explain the advantage of survival that white patients seem to have when affected by cancer.
The difference in survival rates may have something to do with the socio-economic backgrounds of most of the African American and Caucasian population, according to experts. African Americans tend to be diagnosed of cancer at a much later and more advanced stage of cancer than the Caucasians. They may also not be able to afford high end treatments as the Caucasians.
The relatively poor education and awareness among African Americans, lack of access to advanced diagnostic facilities and even the qualifications of physicians who are likely to treat the African American population have been shown as possible causative factors for this gap.
The level of education seems to have the greatest effect on cancer survival on both the Afro-American and Caucasian population. To close the racial gap, African Americans are encouraged to have a personal doctor, to be more proactive about their health, diet and exercise, and to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Even biologically driven differences that cause disparity in cancer survival rates between white and black patients may be driven by factors such as poverty and culture.
The healthcare system also needs to ensure that adequate training and resources are provided to hospitals handling Afro-American cancer patients to bring down this gap. Research done on this area seem to categorically point to the act that if medical care were equal and if preventive care was emphasized more for black patients bringing it at par with the white patients, the disparity in cancer survival would largely come down.
by: Alex White
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