​Neighborhood socioeconomic status and insurance are contributing factors.

A new study from American Cancer Society researchers found that Black cancer survivors in the United States experience a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with White cancer survivors. The research showed Black cancer survivors carry from 30% up to a three-fold higher mortality risk from CVD, depending on the type of cancer that was diagnosed. 

Differences in neighborhood socioeconomic status and health insurance between White and Black cancer survivors explained the disparities in cardiovascular death rates between populations, according to the study authors. The paper was published recently in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

“These findings underscore the importance of neighborhood-level interventions and equitable access to care to mitigate the racial inequities in CVD mortality among cancer survivors,” said Dr. Hyuna Sung, lead author of the study and ACS senior principal scientist of cancer surveillance research. “We need to identify and support neighborhoods where targeted efforts for health promotion and cancer survivorship can have the greatest impact.”

Other ACS authors participating in this study include: Noorie Hyun, Rachel E. Ohman, Eric H. Yang, Rebecca L. Siegel, and Dr. Ahmedin Jemal.