Cancer affects nearly everyone, but it does not affect everyone equally. In April we recognized National Minority Health Month to call attention to health disparities faced by medically underserved racial, ethnic, geographic and other communities across the nation and encourage action through health education, early detection and disease control.
With nearly 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year and about 139,100 in Texas alone, most of us have been touched by cancer in some way. But minorities are disproportionately affected by these diseases. For example, Hispanics have some of the highest rates of liver cancer deaths as well as higher rates of cervical cancer as compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
Black people have higher death rates from cancer overall as compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and have the highest death rate for many types of cancer, including breast, cervical and prostate cancers. They are also more likely than white Americans to be diagnosed with breast, lung and colorectal cancers at a late stage, when treatment options are more limited. And though it varies depending on the region, American Indian and Alaska Native people have higher rates of new diagnoses for lung, colorectal and liver cancers — for which you can reduce your risk by not smoking or prevent with screening and vaccination, respectively — compared to white Americans.
Why are these groups disproportionately affected by cancer? Where you live, your race and ethnicity, education level, physical and mental abilities and income can affect how well you are able to take care of your health. The conditions in which you live, learn, work and play are called social determinants of health, and they impact, among other things, how likely you are to get or die from cancer.
Healthcare access is one social determinant of health. People without insurance (which is more common among people of color, especially Hispanics and American Indians and Alaska Natives) are less likely to have primary care providers and visit the doctor regularly, making them less likely to access preventive services like routine cancer screenings or vaccinations. Other reasons for not visiting a healthcare provider regularly include living far away from a doctor’s office or lacking reliable transportation, sick leave or child care. This delay in care can lead to cancer being diagnosed in more advanced stages, when there are fewer treatment options or treatment may be less effective.
Access to healthy foods also affects your risk of cancer and other health conditions. People who can afford healthy foods and live near grocery stores with healthy foods are less likely to experience obesity, which is linked to at least 13 types of cancer. People who have lower incomes, as well as Black and Hispanic Americans, are more likely to live in “food deserts,” or areas that lack access to affordable, healthy food. These areas tend to have convenience stores with more packaged and processed foods rather than fresh fruits and vegetables.
We have work to do, including improving access to affordable health care and healthy foods and supporting medical research and clinical trials that represent the needs of minorities. What can you do to help? Offer to drive a neighbor to an appointment, donate healthy food to a local food bank, or volunteer at a hospital or organization that supports medically underserved communities. To learn more about ways you can reduce your cancer risk, visit www.preventcancer.org.
Lorena Saenz is the spouse of U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, and a member of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Statistics provided by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
