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 19, 2025
Vermont

Survivors and oncology professionals share their stories with lawmakers to underscore the importance of insurance coverage of cutting-edge biomarker testing

March 19, 2025
Connecticut

Insurance coverage of biomarker testing will reduce health disparities for cancer patients & improve outcomes across broad spectrum of serious disease

March 6, 2025
New Hampshire

Lawmakers asked to reduce barriers to care and reduce prescription related costs

February 13, 2025
National

Today, the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representatives Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) with Representatives Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Troy Carter (D-LA) as cosponsors.

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

In the U.S., colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined. Despite advancements in screening and treatment, CRC does not affect every community the same.

Research shows that while overall cancer mortality rates in the U.S. are dropping, populations that have been marginalized are bearing a disproportionate burden of preventable death and disease. Researchers and policymakers need timely collection and publication of demographic data to identify disparities to improve health equity in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

Despite notable advances in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, not all individuals benefit equally from this important progress. This fact sheet provides an overview of current health disparities in cancer care and a snapshot of ACS CAN federal advocacy activities to eliminate these disparities and achieve health equity.