Racial differences in treatment common, including lower likelihood of surgery for stage I to II lung cancer in Black patients
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The number of cancer survivors in the United States reached 18.6 million as of Jan. 1, 2025, and is projected to exceed 22 million by 2035, according to a study published online May 30 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Nikita Sandeep Wagle, Ph.D., M.B.B.S., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated cancer prevalence in the United States using data from national registries.
The authors note that as of Jan. 1, 2025, there were over 18.6 million people living in the United States with a history of cancer; by 2035, this number is projected to reach more than 22 million. Prostate, melanoma of the skin, and colorectum cancer are the most prevalent among males, while breast, uterine corpus, and thyroid cancer are the most prevalent among females.
Fifty-one percent of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years; 79 percent were 60 years and older. In 2021, racial differences in treatment were common across disease stage; for example, among those with stage I to II lung cancer, Black patients were less likely than White patients to undergo surgery (47 versus 52 percent). For rectal cancer, larger disparities were seen, with 39 and 64 percent of Black and White people, respectively, with stage I disease undergoing proctectomy or proctocolectomy.
“Survivorship experiences and outcomes are not equitable across populations,” the authors write. “Access to treatment and supportive care differs across racial and ethnic groups, influencing cancer‐related outcomes. These differences are influenced by longstanding societal and health care system factors.”
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