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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d5856991e102">African American/Black individuals have a disproportionate
cancer burden, including
the highest mortality and the lowest survival of any racial/ethnic group for most
cancers. Every 3 years, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer
cases and deaths for Black people in the United States and compiles the most recent
data on cancer incidence (herein through 2018), mortality (through 2019), survival,
screening, and risk factors using population-based data from the National Cancer Institute
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, there will be approximately
224,080 new cancer cases and 73,680 cancer deaths among Black people in the United
States. During the most recent 5-year period, Black men had a 6% higher incidence
rate but 19% higher mortality than White men overall, including an approximately 2-fold
higher risk of death from myeloma, stomach cancer, and prostate cancer. The overall
cancer mortality disparity is narrowing between Black and White men because of a steeper
drop in Black men for lung and prostate cancers. However, the decline in prostate
cancer mortality in Black men slowed from 5% annually during 2010 through 2014 to
1.3% during 2015 through 2019, likely reflecting the 5% annual increase in advanced-stage
diagnoses since 2012. Black women have an 8% lower incidence rate than White women
but a 12% higher mortality; further, mortality rates are 2-fold higher for endometrial
cancer and 41% higher for breast cancer despite similar or lower incidence rates.
The wide breast cancer disparity reflects both later stage diagnosis (57% localized
stage vs 67% in White women) and lower 5-year survival overall (82% vs 92%, respectively)
and for every stage of disease (eg, 20% vs 30%, respectively, for distant stage).
Breast cancer surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among Black
women in 2019. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce stark cancer inequalities
in the Black community.
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