More stomach cancers are being caught earlier, offering hope for improved outcomes. But for Black and Asian Americans, the risk remains disproportionately high. A recent study led by Mohamed Tausif Siddiqui, MD, found that diagnoses of localized gastric cancer rose by 53% between 2004 and 2021, while advanced-stage cases declined. The shift is credited to better technology and increased clinical attention to subtle gastrointestinal symptoms.However, the overall number of cases is climbing, and early-onset gastric cancer—affecting people under 50—is often more aggressive. It’s more likely to involve high-grade tumors, diffuse histology, and metastatic spread. This trend raises concern for younger…
Author: Disparity Matters
As obesity rates climb, especially among Black Americans—who were 28% more likely to be obese than the general population in 2024—demand for weight-loss medications like GLP-1s has surged. But with that demand has come a wave of illegal and unregulated drug compounding that poses serious risks, particularly to communities of color.Laura Howard, president of the Colorado Council of Black Nurses, warns that foreign manufacturers are flooding the U.S. with raw pharmaceutical ingredients labeled “for research only.” These are often used to create compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide, which are not FDA-approved and lack safety oversight. Some…
A stealthy form of breast cancer is rising sharply in the U.S., with some minority groups seeing the steepest increases. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which now makes up 10% of breast cancer cases, is growing at nearly 3% annually—more than triple the rate of other breast cancers. ILC’s subtle growth pattern makes it harder to detect. It spreads in a linear or dispersed fashion, often without forming a lump, and may present with symptoms like nipple inversion or skin dimpling. These traits contribute to delayed diagnoses and poorer outcomes in advanced stages. “Our study underscores the need for much more…
Endometrial cancer remains the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States, and Black women continue to bear a disproportionate share of its deadliest outcomes. New research highlighted by Contemporary OB/GYN suggests that earlier use of endometrial biopsy, combined with trust-building and shared decision-making, could improve timely detection among symptomatic Black women and help reduce long-standing racial disparities.Black women experience more than twice the five-year mortality of White patients with endometrial cancer, a difference driven largely by later-stage diagnosis. There are no routine screening tests for early detection, and transvaginal ultrasound, often used as an initial step, may be less…
Despite national efforts to boost cancer screening, many communities—especially those with higher proportions of non-white residents—continue to fall behind. A new study led by Pranoti Pradhan, PhD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, reveals that breast cancer screening remains uneven across the U.S., with persistent geographic clusters of low participation tied to socioeconomic disadvantage.Using data from over 3,100 counties between 1997 and 2019, researchers found that screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers were consistently higher in the Northeast and lower in the Southwest. Counties in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona showed some of the lowest mammography rates.In contrast, states like…
A new report from Susan G. Komen reveals encouraging progress in the fight against breast cancer among Black women—but also underscores persistent racial disparities. Between 2014 and 2023, targeted interventions and partnerships with local organizations helped reduce mortality rates for Black women in nine U.S. metro areas.Using data from the CDC and National Cancer Institute, Komen found double-digit improvements in the racial mortality gap in two metro areas. “We’re pleased to see that overall, more Black women are surviving breast cancer,” said Dr. Sonja Hughes, vice president of Community Health at Susan G. Komen. “This is a meaningful difference that…
A new multi-state study reveals that Black and Hispanic women are significantly more likely to undergo cesarean sections during low-risk deliveries, raising concerns about racial and socioeconomic disparities in maternal care. Researchers analyzed over 245,000 hospital births in Maryland, Florida, and Wisconsin between 2017 and 2020, focusing on deliveries without medical complications that would typically require surgical intervention.The findings show that Black women had 16% higher odds and Hispanic women 23% higher odds of receiving cesarean sections compared to white women. Women with private insurance and those delivering in for-profit hospitals also faced increased odds. In contrast, patients from higher-income…
Artificial intelligence is transforming medical care across the United States, but the technology often perpetuates existing racial disparities in healthcare rather than eliminating them. Research reveals that AI systems trained on historically biased data reproduce those same inequities when analyzing patient conditions and recommending treatments.A Duke University study found that an AI model designed to predict breast cancer risk performed significantly less accurately for Black patients compared to white patients. Researchers attributed this disparity to the model being predominantly trained on data from white patients, demonstrating how historical underrepresentation in medical research continues to affect care quality today.The problem stems…
Dramatic gains in life expectancy that once reshaped life in wealthy nations are faltering, raising urgent questions for communities already burdened by shorter lives and higher disease rates. “The unprecedented increase in life expectancy we achieved in the first half of the 20th century appears to be a phenomenon we are unlikely to achieve again in the foreseeable future,” said lead author Héctor Pifarré i Arolas, whose team analyzed mortality data from 23 high‑income, low‑mortality countries using the Human Mortality Database and six independent forecasting methods.For people born between 1900 and 1938, average life expectancy leapt from 62 to about…
Cognitive disabilities are rising sharply in the United States, especially among younger adults and racial and ethnic minorities. A new study published in Neurology analyzed 4.5 million responses from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 2013 and 2023 and found that self-reported cognitive disability increased from 5% to 7% nationwide.Defined as “serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions,” cognitive disability rates doubled among adults aged 18 to 39—from 1 in 20 to 1 in 10. The highest rates were consistently observed among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, followed by Black and Hispanic adults.The study also found that people…