Disparities in Cancer Care

Chicago, IL—It is well documented that clinical trials thus far have for the most part excluded underserved populations, and that means the results of these trials cannot be generalized to society at large. Fortunately, the federal government and medical societies have taken aim at remedying this imbalance in accrual for clinical trials.

Health insurance coverage mediated racial and ethnic inequities among patients with advanced-stage cervical cancer, according to findings from a recent retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study.

Older Black and Hispanic patients with advanced cancer are less likely than White patients to receive opioid medications for pain relief in the last weeks of life, according to the results of a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Minority and marginalized communities have historically been underrepresented in local and federal governments and in dozens of private sectors globally. Pharma is no different; there exists a steep chasm that drugmakers have yet to bridge concerning research and trials.

The theme for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2021 virtual annual meeting was “Equity: Every Patient. Every Day. Everywhere.” As ASCO President Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, explained during her opening address, there is an urgent need to focus on effective ways to eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities so that every patient can receive care that results in the best possible outcome.

Disparities in cancer care remains a public health challenge in the United States, despite some strides in reducing these disparities, according to a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) that was released in a virtual presentation on September 16, 2020. Furthermore, many of the populations affected by cancer care disparities are the ones affected by disparities related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AACR experts said.