Reducing Health Disparities

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Cancer impacts everyone, but it doesn’t impact everyone equally. We are working to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.

From ensuring greater diversity among clinical trial participants to improving access to quality, affordable health care, we are asking lawmakers to reduce disparities in cancer care by advancing policies that break down existing barriers.

Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women overall

Latest Updates

June 21, 2022
California

The California Assembly Health Committee passed a bill today that would ensure comprehensive biomarker testing is covered by more insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, when supported by medical and scientific evidence.

May 24, 2022
California

San Diego County voted for a budget that supports the county’s tobacco retailer licensing ordinance passed in early 2020. This budget provides for strong enforcement including annual monitoring, fines, license suspension and revocation for non-compliant retailers.

May 16, 2022

Discrimination in health care and quality of care remain barriers to receiving care for Black and Hispanic cancer patients and survivors, according to preliminary data from a forthcoming American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Survivor Views survey.

May 11, 2022
National

Eighty-seven organizations representing patients with chronic and acute health conditions, sent a letter to Congress today urging them to improve the diversity of enrollment in clinical trials as part of this year’s Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) reauthorization.

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

Research shows that while overall cancer mortality rates in the U.S. are dropping, populations that have been marginalized are bearing a disproportionate burden of preventable death and disease. Researchers and policymakers need timely collection and publication of demographic data to identify disparities to improve health equity in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

Telehealth can help to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or zip code by providing cancer patients with a means of accessing both cancer care and primary care.

Despite notable advances in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, not all individuals benefit equally from this important progress. This fact sheet provides an overview of current health disparities in cancer care and a snapshot of ACS CAN federal advocacy activities to eliminate these disparities and achieve health equity.