Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Falling Smoking Rates For African-Americans As Well As Increased Screening Chip Away At Disparities In Cancer Rates
The Associated Press: Cancer Death Racial Gap Narrows, But Still Higher For Blacks
For a long time, blacks have died of cancer at higher rates than other Americans. But a new report says the gap is narrowing. Nearly 30 years ago, black men had a 47 higher cancer death rate than white men. Now it's 19 percent higher. Black women had a 19 percent greater cancer death rate. Now it's 13 percent greater. (2/14)
The Washington Post: Black-White Cancer Disparities Narrow Sharply Amid Progress Against Common Malignancies
African Americans still have the highest death rate and the lowest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group for most cancers. But the report noted the overall cancer death rate has been dropping faster in blacks than in whites because of bigger declines for three of the four most common cancers — lung, prostate and colorectal. The result: The “excess risk” of cancer death in blacks, compared with whites, fell from 47 percent in 1990 to 19 percent in 2016 for men and from 19 percent to 13 percent for women, according to the study. (McGinley, 2/14)
NPR: Racial Disparities In Cancer Deaths Is Narrowing Between Blacks And Whites
"In 2019, approximately 202,260 new cases of cancer and 73,030 cancer deaths are expected to occur among blacks in the United States," the analysis by ACS investigators notes. But their report also shows that the gap between blacks and whites has closed considerably over the past few decades when it comes to lung, prostate and colorectal cancers. In fact, during the period from 2006 to 2015, overall death rates from cancer declined 2.6 percent per year among black men, compared to 1.6 percent per year among white men. Among women, for that same time period, death rates from cancer declined 1.5 percent per year among blacks compared to 1.3 percent per year among whites. (Neighmond, 2/14)
USA Today: Life After Cancer: Survivors Living Longer, Need More Help
When Susan Leigh finished treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma back in 1972, she says, “no one knew what was going to happen.” Certainly, no one knew that the Arizona woman would develop three more cancers and heart damage, all likely linked to the aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments that helped save her life. Those treatments were new at the time. When Leigh finished them, apparently cancer-free, she was a pioneer. (Painter, 2/14)
In other news from the oncology field —
The Washington Post: Breast Surgeons Say All Breast Cancer Patients Should Be Offered Genetic Testing
The nation’s breast surgeons are advising that all patients diagnosed with breast cancer be offered genetic testing to check for inherited mutations, fueling an intense debate about how such tests should be used to prevent and treat disease. The American Society of Breast Surgeons, which sent its recommendations Thursday to its 3,400 members, said it developed the recommendation because current guidelines are too restrictive. (McGinley, 2/14)
