Championed prostate-cancer awareness and care equity, focusing on preventing late diagnoses among Black men.
Author: Disparity Matters
“Over 26 million people remain uninsured, and uninsured rates vary substantially between racial and ethnic groups. There’s even wider uninsured rate variation among the many racial and ethnic subgroups within the larger categories.”
A new study reveals that racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer treatment refusal are associated with factors such as age, insurance type, and income level. The research, published in JAMA Oncology, found that patients who received all recommended treatments had better survival rates, highlighting the need for interventions to improve access and reduce disparities. The study analyzed data from nearly 3 million breast cancer patients between 2004 and 2020. It found that chemotherapy was the most commonly declined treatment (9.6%), followed by radiotherapy (6.1%), hormone therapy (5%), and surgery (0.6%). White patients were more likely to decline chemotherapy compared to…
A recent study from NYU School of Global Public Health reveals that discrimination may accelerate biological aging, contributing significantly to racial and ethnic health disparities. Conducted on 1,967 Midlife in the United States participants, the research found that individuals who reported experiences of everyday, major, and workplace discrimination showcased a faster pace of aging. The effects were notably pronounced among White participants, who exhibited a stronger correlation between discrimination and biological aging, compared to their Black counterparts. The study utilized advanced measurements such as the DunedinPACE, PhenoAge, and GrimAge2 epigenetic clocks. Results indicated that individuals facing greater discrimination displayed older biological ages…
Researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health have uncovered a critical link between interpersonal discrimination and accelerated biological aging. The study, led by Adolfo Cuevas, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, sheds light on a potential root cause of disparities in aging-related illness and death. The research, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity-Health, reveals that experiencing discrimination hastens the aging process, contributing to health disparities. Discrimination based on identity factors such as race, gender, weight, or disability increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression. Chronic activation of the…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative to address longstanding racial disparities in kidney transplantation. The proposed Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model aims to revolutionize the organ transplant system by improving access, quality of care, and equity for all individuals with end-stage renal disease.HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the stark reality of racial inequities in organ transplantation, noting that Black Americans disproportionately struggle with kidney disease yet receive a smaller percentage of kidney transplants. The Biden-Harris Administration is taking concrete steps to eliminate racial bias in calculating wait times and root out profiteering…
While lung cancer rates have declined nationally, Asian American women are experiencing a troubling rise. Since 2006, their lung cancer rates have increased by 2% annually, and more than half of those diagnosed have never smoked. “They are developing lung cancer, and we don’t know why,” said Dr. Gina Villani, chief of oncology and hematology at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.One possible explanation lies in a gene mutation. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, which causes uncontrolled cell growth, is found in 60% to 74% of nonsmoking East Asian women with lung cancer. “We need to find a gene to hang our…
A new study reveals alarming racial disparities in rising U.S. child mortality rates, with Black and Native American youth facing the greatest increases. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University found that between 2014 and 2020, mortality rates rose 36.7% for Black youth and 22.3% for Native American youth, compared to just 4.7% for white youth. The study, published in JAMA, analyzed over 20 years of CDC death certificate data for ages 1-19. Lead author Dr. Elizabeth Wolf noted, “While we saw that the overall pediatric all-cause mortality rate in the United States began to increase around 2020 and 2021, for Native American,…
The American Cancer Society has released a groundbreaking report focusing on cancer facts and figures for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, revealing significant disparities in cancer rates and outcomes among these groups. According to the report, Asian Americans have a 40% lower overall cancer death rate compared to white people. Rebecca Siegel, one of the report’s authors, attributes this to lower smoking and obesity rates among Asian Americans, which contribute to reduced lung cancer incidence – the leading cause of cancer deaths. However, the report highlights troubling disparities for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, who die from preventable…
Black, Hispanic, and Native American patients were significantly more likely to lose Medicaid coverage during the recent “unwinding” process, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum. Over 17 million Americans have lost Medicaid coverage in the past year as states began reassessing eligibility following the end of pandemic-era continuous enrollment policies. The study found that Black patients were 10% more likely than White patients to be disenrolled, while Hispanic patients were nearly 20% more likely. Native American and Alaskan Native patients faced the highest disparity, being more than twice as likely to…