Health Equity

NCCS represents the millions of Americans who live with, through and beyond a cancer diagnosis. But the cancer experience is not the same for everyone. Gains in cancer survival due to advances in treatment and screening are not shared by all who are diagnosed with cancer.

Outcomes vary significantly based on a number of factors, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health insurance status, and geographic location. According to researchers from the American Cancer Society, a quarter of the approximately 600,000 annual cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented if everyone had access to the same prevention, screening, and treatment.

NCCS works on policy efforts to address health equity and reducing disparities in outcomes. The problem of health equity is complex, as some of the factors that lead to inequity are deeply rooted in social determinants of health and systemic and institutional barriers. Many of the policies that would improve access to care would contribute to reducing disparities. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), including its expansion of Medicaid, has reduced disparities in access to care and mortality rates, compared to states that chose not to expand Medicaid.

“Historically, racial/ethnic minorities, the poor, and the uninsured are less likely to receive evidence‐based cancer prevention and screening, and they are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease. Racial/ethnic minorities, the poor, and the uninsured are less likely to receive effective cancer treatment and have poorer survival after diagnosis. A substantial proportion of insured Americans are underinsured, and their access to high‐quality care is also limited. These underinsured populations are also less likely to receive evidence‐based preventive care and, when diagnosed with cancer, they are less likely to receive optimal care, including cancer surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapies, and they have poorer survival after a cancer diagnosis. Although some disparities in cancer care by race are decreasing, disparities by socioeconomic status and state of residence are increasing.”Yabroff, K Robin et al. “Minimizing the burden of cancer in the United States: Goals for a high-performing health care system.” CA: a cancer journal for clinicians vol. 69,3 (2019): 166-183. doi:10.3322/caac.21556