Researchers stress improving access to care to reduce disparities.
A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society and Clemson University shows residential racial and economic segregation was associated with cancer mortality at the county level in the United States. The most segregated communities had a 20% higher mortality rate for all cancer types combined. The association was strongest for lung cancer, with a 50% higher mortality in the most segregated counties. The study was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Oncology.
“Many people living in low-income minority households have less access to employment opportunities, transportation, education, and health care and are more likely to experience worse health outcomes,” said Dr. Xuesong Han, ACS scientific director, health services research and senior author of the study. “These findings show it is imperative we continue to look for ways to increase access to cancer prevention and early detection wherever possible to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes.”
For the study, researchers examined county-level sociodemographic data linked with mortality data from the US Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics from 2015-2019. The scientists found that residential racial and economic segregation, measured by the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE), was associated with cancer mortality at the county level in the United States.
The results showed that lung cancer mortality had the strongest association with segregation, likely due to cumulative effects of higher incidence from exposure to risk factors such as smoking and air pollution, less early detection through screening and early evaluation of signs and symptoms, and a lower survival rate due to limited access to quality cancer care associated with segregation.
ACS researcher Dr. Robin Yabroff was also included in this study. Team members can access JAMA Oncology and read the full study via the Virtual Research Library.
View a tweet about the news here.
