Paola Gonzalez championed bilingual, culturally responsive oncology care and improved health access for Latino communities facing resource barriers
Author: Disparity Matters
The overall cancer death rate in the United States has decreased by 33% between 1991 and 2020, but significant disparities remain among different racial and ethnic groups, according to the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024. The report highlights that Black and Indigenous individuals have the highest overall cancer death rates in the U.S., despite lower incidence rates compared to the white population. For example, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men, and Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, despite similar…
“The Report highlights significant advancements in cancer research and treatment, yet underscores persistent health disparities affecting minority communities…Minority communities face higher cancer incidence and mortality rates due to barriers in accessing quality healthcare.”
A new study led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Duke University has uncovered the significant health risks posed by the V142I transthyretin variant within the US Black population. The study, published in the JAMA Network, reveals that this genetic variant, present in 3-4% of self-identified Black individuals in the US, is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death. Dr. Senthil Selvaraj from Duke University School of Medicine, the lead author of the study, estimates that carriers of this variant could collectively lose approximately a million years of life. The research, which drew data from over…
Recent studies have uncovered troubling disparities in access to free preventive care mandated by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Despite the law’s requirement that most health plans cover preventive services without cost to patients, minority and low-income individuals are more likely to face claim denials and unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. Research published in JAMA Network Open reveals that insurers are more prone to reject claims from Asian, Black, and Hispanic patients, as well as those with lower incomes. The study, which analyzed 2.5 million preventive care claims filed between 2017 and 2020, found that low-income patients were 43%…
Barney Morris championed prostate-cancer awareness and care equity, focusing on preventing late diagnoses among Black men
“Over 26 million people remain uninsured, and uninsured rates vary substantially between racial and ethnic groups. There’s even wider uninsured rate variation among the many racial and ethnic subgroups within the larger categories.”
A new study reveals that racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer treatment refusal are associated with factors such as age, insurance type, and income level. The research, published in JAMA Oncology, found that patients who received all recommended treatments had better survival rates, highlighting the need for interventions to improve access and reduce disparities. The study analyzed data from nearly 3 million breast cancer patients between 2004 and 2020. It found that chemotherapy was the most commonly declined treatment (9.6%), followed by radiotherapy (6.1%), hormone therapy (5%), and surgery (0.6%). White patients were more likely to decline chemotherapy compared to…
A recent study from NYU School of Global Public Health reveals that discrimination may accelerate biological aging, contributing significantly to racial and ethnic health disparities. Conducted on 1,967 Midlife in the United States participants, the research found that individuals who reported experiences of everyday, major, and workplace discrimination showcased a faster pace of aging. The effects were notably pronounced among White participants, who exhibited a stronger correlation between discrimination and biological aging, compared to their Black counterparts. The study utilized advanced measurements such as the DunedinPACE, PhenoAge, and GrimAge2 epigenetic clocks. Results indicated that individuals facing greater discrimination displayed older biological ages…
Researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health have uncovered a critical link between interpersonal discrimination and accelerated biological aging. The study, led by Adolfo Cuevas, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, sheds light on a potential root cause of disparities in aging-related illness and death. The research, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity-Health, reveals that experiencing discrimination hastens the aging process, contributing to health disparities. Discrimination based on identity factors such as race, gender, weight, or disability increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression. Chronic activation of the…