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Black History Month 2024: Cancer Disparities in the Black Community
Each February, the nation honors Black History Month to highlight the accomplishments of Black and African American people's history, culture, leadership, and innovation and honor the contributions and sacrifices made among the Black community in the United States. For centuries, African Americans have been essential to advancing oncology research and medicine, and this year, Upstate Carolina NCORP continues to highlight our dedication to acknowledging the cancer health disparities among African American patients and our commitment to improving survival for every patient with cancer, regardless of race.
Although, there have been significant improvements in cancer treatment and prevention through the years, a distinct reality remains: Black patients with cancer are not living as long compared to other racial and ethnic groups with the disease. African American people have historically faced multiple challenges in accessing quality healthcare, leading to disproportionate health outcomes, including having a higher cancer burden and facing more significant obstacles to cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival. Research indicates that African Americans have the highest death rate of any racial/ethnic group for most cancers; African American men also have the highest cancer incidence. In terms of specific cancer types, prostate cancer death rates in Black men are more than double those of other racial/ethnic groups, and Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than White women. With these cancer disparities statistics, every February the HHS, NIH, and NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities are recognizing Black History Month by sharing a selection of resources, events, and publications that focus on cancer disparities in the Black community, action plans regarding the advancement of health equity for Black Americans, as well as educational programs for future leaders to prioritize making STEM education more inclusive.
This Black History Month is a time for reflection and a call for action. It emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic disparities, particularly in healthcare. Upstate Carolina NCORP emphasizes the importance of African American participation in NCI Clinical Trials through community engagement and patient support programs. Additionally, assessing and addressing barriers to research participation and accruing patients to trials that improve cancer-related health among individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds exemplifies our dedication to addressing health equity gaps in cancer research representation and survivorship. As we acknowledge this month-long celebration, let us commemorate the past and continue to commit to enhancing cancer research and improving health outcomes, free from disparities and systemic inequities.
Follow the link below to the NIH Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website with resources of information – Commemorating Black History Month 2024, along with a message from NIH Leadership, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, MD (Director of NIH), and Kevin D. Williams, Esq. (Director of EDI).
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