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Cancer Facts for Minorities in the United
States
- Overall, black Americans are more likely to develop cancer than
persons of any other racial or ethnic group.
- Black Americans have higher than average colon and rectum cancer
death rates and incidence rates than other racial and ethnic group.
- Black Americans have twice the average death rates from prostate
cancer.
- Cervical cancer incidence in Hispanic women has been consistently
higher at all ages than for other women.
- Only 52 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native women aged 40
years and older have had a recent mammogram.
- American Indian and Alaska Natives have the poorest survival from
all cancers combined in comparison with all other racial and ethnic
groups.
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Healthy People 2010
Leading Health Indicators
Incorporating the goals of Healthy
People 2010, CDC strives to improve cancer control and prevention
within minority populations. The Leading
Health Indicators highlight individual behaviors, physical and social
environmental factors, and important health systems that greatly affect
the health of individuals and communities. Many of the Indicators are
associated with cancer among certain minority populations:
Physical Activity
- Regular physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of
colon cancer.
- African Americans and Hispanics are less physically active on
average than whites.
Overweight and Obesity
- Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of
certain types of cancer.
- Obesity is more common among African American and Mexican American
women than white women.
Tobacco Use
- Smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer.
- Overall, American Indians and Alaska Natives have one of the highest
rates of smoking among adults.
Substance Abuse
- Long-term heavy drinking can lead to cancer.
Mental Health
- Depression may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
- Women from certain racial or ethnic populations are more likely to
experience depression.
Environmental Quality
- Poor air quality contributes to cancer.
- Hispanics and Asian and Pacific Islanders are more likely to live in
areas that fail to meet air quality standards compared to whites,
African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives.
Access to Health Care
- Persons with health insurance are more likely to have received
appropriate preventive care such as a recent Pap test.
- Hispanic Americans have one of the highest uninsured rates.
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Activities That Support the Elimination of
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health
CDC promotes changes in behavior, better access to cancer screening
services, and more aggressive treatment to help eliminate disparities in
cancer by
- Surveillance and monitoring of disease and health behaviors
- Building new partnerships
- Determining the best strategies to address the cancer burden in
populations
- Working with communities
- Evaluating and improving programs
National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
NBCCEDP provides breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and
treatment to low income, medically underserved, and un-insured women
(emphasizing recruitment of minority women) through states, tribes and
territories.
For summaries on barriers to Pap testing and strategies that may
improve outreach among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2010)
Breast and cervical cancer screening and management is a priority area of
The President's Initiative on Race and Healthy People 2010. At CDC, REACH
2010 is the cornerstone initiative aimed at eliminating disparities in
health status experienced by racial and ethnic minority populations. There
are 40 REACH 2010 projects, with six that specifically target breast
and/or cervical cancer:
- Access Community Health Network
Faith-based Health Promotion–Will increase the rate of
screening for breast and cervical cancers among low-income women in the
inner city of Chicago.
- Boston Public Health Commission
REACH Boston 2010 B Phase II–Focuses on black women
inadequately connected to health care and who are especially hard to
reach with conventional methods.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition B Phase II–Targets
African American women aged 40 years and older who reside in nine
medically underserved counties in Alabama.
- Special Services Groups, Inc.
Targets breast and/or cervical cancer among Asian Americans.
- University of California, San Francisco
REACHing Vietnamese Women: A Community Model for Promoting Cervical
Cancer Screening–Will address high rates of cervical cancer
among women of Vietnamese origin aged 18 years and older living in Santa
Clara County.
- Alburquerque Area Indian Health Board
Targeting American Indian and Alaska Native people, this board helps create an infrastructure for
core capacity building programs in tribal organizations. The locations include New Mexico
and Colorado.
National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)
NPCR provides funding and technical assistance to 45 states, 3
territories, and the District of Columbia for enhancing established cancer
registries or developing and implementing new cancer registries. Cancer
data are collected by sex, age, and race/ethnicity and can be analyzed to
show where disparities in cancer incidence and mortality exist.
Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Leadership Institutes
In partnership with the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer
Institute, the American College of Surgeons, the North American
Association of Central Cancer Registries, the Chronic Disease Directors,
the Intercultural Cancer Council, and the National Dialogue on Cancer, CDC
provides the foundation for a unique and integrated approach for
comprehensive cancer control through the CCC
Leadership Institutes.
Rural Appalachian Cancer Demonstration Project
The Rural Appalachian
Cancer Demonstration Project* focuses on surveillance database, cancer
care planning, and continuum of care, and serves parts of Kentucky,
Virginia, and Tennessee.
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center–Center for Research
on Minority Health
The Center for
Research on Minority Health* is a comprehensive investigational,
educational, and outreach unit focusing on decreasing the significantly
disproportionate incidence and prevalence of cancer morbidity and
mortality in ethnic minority and medically under-served populations.
United States Conference of Mayors (USCM)
The USCM's* "Mayors Cancer
Awareness Program" is a long-term effort to educate and disseminate
information about early detection and treatment programs for racial and
ethnic, minority, and medically underserved populations. They develop
strategies for reaching these populations, and generally promote early
detection and accessibility of treatment options. Among its efforts, USCM
- Partners with NBCCEDP to identify opportunities at the community
level to promote breast cancer screening.
- Established the Mayors Coalition for Prostate Cancer Awareness and
Education as a mechanism to promote informed decision-making about
prostate cancer screening.
Baylor University Intercultural Cancer Council (ICC)
The ICC* developed a
communications network to serve as a link to information about cancer
prevention and control that is focused on racial and ethnic minority and
medically underserved populations as well as organizations and individuals
working directly with these populations.
Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (PRC)
Through community partnerships and developing strategic initiatives,
the Morehouse School of
Medicine PRC* identifies the most successful approaches to enhance
colorectal cancer screening among African Americans.
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Recent Data and Research Findings on Cancer in
Minorities
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Link to Partners
*Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are
provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an
endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal
Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the
content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
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