Health
Racial disparities in cancer mortality persist
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 24, 2008
A new American Cancer Society study found that recent progress in closing the gap in overall cancer mortality between African-Americans and whites may be due primarily to progress with smoking-related cancers and cancer mortality. Differences related to cancers that are detected by screening and treatment -- breast, prostate and colorectal cancer -- may still be increasing.
The study is in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.
African-Americans have the highest risk of all major ethnic groups in the U.S. of being diagnosed with and dying of cancer.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/11/24/hlbf1124.htm.