Reducing Health Disparities

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Cancer impacts everyone, but it doesn’t impact everyone equally. We are working to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.

From ensuring greater diversity among clinical trial participants to improving access to quality, affordable health care, we are asking lawmakers to reduce disparities in cancer care by advancing policies that break down existing barriers.

Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women overall

Latest Updates

March 25, 2026
Massachusetts

Cancer survivors and caregivers urge lawmakers to support legislation that will increase access to precision medicine through biomarker testing.

March 13, 2026
National

This week, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network submitted comments in a letter opposing several policies in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule for plan year 2027.

January 14, 2026
Alabama

MONTOMERY, Ala. -- Earlier today, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed Senate Bill 19 , which would make prostate cancer screenings more accessible and affordable for patients at high-risk for the disease. In response, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Alabama Government Relations Director Jane Adams

September 30, 2025
Massachusetts

ACS CAN presented Medford’s Marina Watanabe with the Young Leader award in recognition of her passionate advocacy and commitment to ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

Prescription drug costs are a significant burden on cancer patients and survivors, sometimes even leading patients to miss or delay taking prescribed medications. The latest Survivor Views survey explores the role copay assistance programs can play in reducing this burden, and also addresses patient navigation and digital therapeutics.

ACS CAN submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the Diversity Plans To Improve Enrollment of Participants From Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Populations in Clinical Trials Draft Guidance for Industry. 

ACS CAN and more than 150 organizations representing patients, providers and health equity advocates sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass the Diversifying Investigations Via Equitable Research Studies for Everyone (DIVERSE) Trials Act into law to remove barriers to clinical trial enrollment.