A new study reveals that pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing in cancer care, while potentially improving patient outcomes, faces barriers that create disparities affecting diverse populations. The paper, published February 22, 2024, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, highlights how the current understanding of PGx in cancer treatment may be biased towards individuals of European descent. PGx testing examines how a patient’s inherited genes affect their response to drugs. However, its adoption in oncology remains scarce, with devastating consequences. Approximately 60% of advanced cancer patients take medications with known PGx interactions, and about 1,300 people die annually from a common chemotherapy drug for…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new analysis published in Annals of Internal Medicine reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic affected mortality rates differently across Latino populations in the United States. The study, based on data from over 15,000 Latino adults, compared pre-pandemic mortality trends from 2008-2011 to those seen in 2020-2021. Prior to the pandemic, Puerto Ricans and Cubans had the highest cumulative mortality risks among Latino groups studied, while South Americans had the lowest. However, during the pandemic, the picture shifted. After adjusting for age and other factors, Central Americans and Mexicans faced somewhat higher mortality risks compared to Puerto Ricans and Cubans. The researchers found…
Racial and ethnic disparities in access to advanced medical interventions have persisted for decades in the U.S. healthcare system, according to a new report from AdvaMed, a medical technology trade association. The first phase of a three-part research series analyzed differences in access to surgical, medical, and technological procedures among Medicare beneficiaries in 2018 and 2019. The report, released on March 7, 2024, is part of an effort to shed light on the ongoing issue of unequal treatment and outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities in healthcare, which was first highlighted by the Institute of Medicine’s landmark “Unequal Treatment” report…
A new study reveals that air pollution disproportionately affects communities of color in the United States, with childhood asthma rates nearly eight times higher and premature death risks 1.3 times higher compared to white communities. Researchers from George Washington University combined U.S. Census Bureau data with NASA satellite scans to estimate pollution concentrations and their health impacts. They focused on two forms of air pollution: nitrogen dioxide from traffic and fine particulate matter from vehicles and industry.The study, published March 6 in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that in 2019, an estimated 49,400 premature deaths and nearly 115,000 new childhood asthma cases…
A new systematic review published in Frontiers in Public Health has identified key social determinants of health that may contribute to low breast cancer screening rates in the United States, particularly among minority populations. The study, led by researchers including Dr. Lea Sacca from Florida Atlantic University, analyzed 72 peer-reviewed observational studies from 2013 to 2023. They found that socioeconomic factors, access to health care, and race/ethnicity were the most significant determinants affecting breast cancer screening behaviors. Insurance status emerged as a critical factor, with uninsured women less likely to undergo screening. Ethnic minority women, except for those identifying as Asian, had…
Socioeconomic status and access to health care are the most significant social determinants hindering breast cancer screening among women aged 40 and older in the United States, according to a new study from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine. The scoping review, published in Frontiers in Public Health, analyzed 72 peer-reviewed observational studies from 2013 to 2023. It found that factors related to socioeconomic status, including income, education level, and employment status, were most frequently associated with low screening rates. Access to health care emerged as a statistically significant theme in 61 percent of the studies, with insurance status being the…
African Americans and Latinos who smoke face heightened cancer risks due to distinct epigenetic changes, a new study from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) reveals. The research analyzed data from 2,728 individuals across six racial and ethnic groups in the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaboration between USC and the University of Hawaii.”We know that smoking affects people differently based on their race and ethnicity, but identifying epigenetic signatures of smoking would help us better predict risk for smoking-related diseases,” Brian Huang, PhD, an assistant professor of population and public health sciences at USC…
“Inadequate transportation has long been cited as a major barrier to accessing healthcare, leading to late or missed appointments and delayed or missed medication use, which all contribute to worsening health outcomes. These barriers disproportionately impact households that are below the federal poverty level and communities that have been marginalized…”
States are considering bans on menthol cigarettes as the federal government delays action, highlighting efforts to address racial health disparities in smoking-related illnesses. Menthol cigarettes, which are easier to inhale and potentially more addictive, are disproportionately used by Black smokers. Over 80% of Black smokers prefer menthols, compared to 35% of white smokers. The tobacco industry has long targeted Black communities with menthol cigarette marketing. This targeted approach has contributed to higher rates of smoking-related diseases among Black Americans. Public health experts argue that banning menthol cigarettes could prevent up to 650,000 deaths nationwide over several decades. While the FDA proposed a…
A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics has found significant racial and ethnic disparities in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among U.S. children aged 3-17 years. The study, based on data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, revealed that non-Hispanic Black children (16.9%) were more likely to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD compared to non-Hispanic White (13.2%) and Hispanic (11.0%) children. The report also highlighted the underrepresentation of Hispanic children in ADHD diagnoses. Despite making up a significant portion of the U.S. child population, Hispanic children had the lowest prevalence of ADHD…