title: The influence of health disparities on targeting cancer prevention efforts.
abstract: Despite the advances in cancer medicine and the resultant 20% decline in cancer death rates for Americans since 1991, there remain distinct cancer health disparities among African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and the those living in poverty. Minorities and the poor continue to bear the disproportionate burden of cancer, especially in terms of stage at diagnosis, incidence, and mortality. Cancer health disparities are persistent reminders that state-of-the-art cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are not equally effective for and accessible to all Americans. The cancer prevention model must take into account the phenotype of accelerated aging associated with health disparities as well as the important interplay of biological and sociocultural factors that lead to disparate health outcomes. The building blocks of this prevention model will include interdisciplinary prevention modalities that encourage partnerships across medical and nonmedical entities, community-based participatory research, development of ethnically and racially diverse research cohorts, and full actualization of the prevention benefits outlined in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However, the most essential facet should be a thoughtful integration of cancer prevention and screening into prevention, screening, and disease management activities for hypertension and diabetes mellitus because these chronic medical illnesses have a substantial prevalence in populations at risk for cancer disparities and cause considerable comorbidity and likely complicate effective treatment and contribute to disproportionate cancer death rates.
authors: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Alan B
authors: AB
authors: Zonderman
authors: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Ngozi
authors: N
authors: Ejiogu
authors: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Norbeck
authors: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland. Electronic address: me42v@nih.gov.
authors: Michele K
authors: MK
authors: Evans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000458:organization & administration; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American