Let’s start with the good news: A new report from the American Cancer Society finds that the disparity in cancer mortality between blacks and whites has significantly narrowed in recent years.

In 1990, black men were 47 percent more likely to die of cancer than white men, while black women were 19 percent more likely to die from cancer than white women. By 2012, however, the disparity dropped to 24 percent for men and 14 percent for women.

If the disparities had not narrowed, 300,000 more African Americans would have died of cancer during that time period, the report estimated.

The bad news, of course, is that disparities persist, and in some instances, have not lessened. For instance, in the past quarter century the breast cancer death rate between white women and black women has become greater, even though the death rates have declined for both groups. For whites, it declined 37 percent, compared to 23 percent for blacks.

“In the United States, African Americans bear a disproportionate share of the cancer burden, having the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group for most cancers,” said the report.

While there are may be some genetic factors that put people of certain ethnicities at a greater risk than others, the report attributes most of the cancer disparity to socioeconomic barriers that disproportionately impact African Americans.

It noted that more than a quarter of blacks live below the federal poverty line, compared to only 10 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

“Persons with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to engage in behaviors that increase cancer risk, in part because of marketing strategies that target these populations as well as environmental and community factors, such as fewer opportunities for physical activity and less access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” it said.

Instant Insights /

Cancer mortality disparity narrows, but racial gap remains

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