Our Findings

In comparison to non-Hispanic whites, racial minorities experience higher rates of cancer mortality and diagnosis. African Americans, in particular, are at a higher risk than any other racial group for many common cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer. Findings from our own analysis seem to corroborate these conclusions: the Black population in our dataset had the highest rate of disease for multiple cancers. Furthermore, Black patients are less likely than white patients to see positive outcomes of cancer care across the board. They are less likely to receive a standard of care, a treatment that is widely accepted by medical professionals as the proper way to treat a disease. For cancer, this includes negative surgical margins, proper lymphadenectomies, and adjuvant therapy.