Minority Cancer Awareness Month

April is Minority Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial time to celebrate the progress made toward raising awareness about the various cancer diagnoses that disproportionately affect people from different racial and ethnic minority groups. However, there is still much work to be done to address the cancer disparities that these groups face.

Minorities experience cancer disparities due to numerous factors, including social determinants of health, behavior, biology, and genetics, which can lead to an increased cancer risk. At Arizona Cancer & Blood Specialists, we understand the unique challenges faced by minority groups when it comes to cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival.

For instance, African Americans face a higher cancer burden and greater obstacles in cancer care than other racial/ethnic groups, which often lead to a higher death rate and shorter survival times for most cancers. Black men are one and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die from the disease. Prostate cancer also has the highest level of diagnosis in Hispanic men. 

Additionally, Black women are almost 50% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women, and both Black and Hispanic women have higher rates of cervical cancer than women of other ethnic groups, with Black women having the highest rates of death from the disease.

While some of these disparities are due to genetics, social determinants of health, such as lack of education, screening, and limited access to cancer treatment, also play a significant role. At Arizona Cancer & Blood Specialists, we are committed to breaking down these barriers to care and providing excellent cancer care for all.

This April, let us continue to raise awareness about the struggles that minority groups face in the cancer care world, and renew our dedication to making cancer care equal for all. Let us celebrate the progress made while committing to further action toward achieving equity in cancer care.