April is National Cancer Control Month

The American Cancer Society observes Cancer Control Month in April but did you know that the disease hits minorities and the uninsured harder than the general US population? Ethnic minorities and the uninsured are:

• more likely to get cancer
• more likely to die from cancer
• more likely to be treated at later stages of the disease
• more likely to receive substandard care

Even when income, age, insurance status and severity of conditions are comparable, ethnic minorities have unequal access to care and a disproportionate number of cancer related deaths.

• cancer death rates for black males are 37% higher than white males
• cancer death rates for black females are 17% higher than white females even though the incidence rate of cancer is lower in black women than white women

Skin cancer screening programs target whites so black and Latino men are 30% more likely to die from melanoma than are whites. Even though we spend $2 trillion annually on health care in our country, we are missing out on opportunities to provide basic care.

Thank you cjohnson for use of photo Mayo Clinic