A new national report paints a stark picture of how unevenly cancer is experienced across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines in the United States. The authors describe “substantial disparities across the cancer continuum,” from risk factors and screening to survival and mortality. Those gaps fall heaviest on Black and American Indian/Alaska Native communities, who faced the highest cancer mortality rates between 2019 and 2023.
Black adults experienced higher mortality than White adults at nearly every step, even when incidence was lower. The report notes that overall cancer mortality was “10% higher in Black females than in White females” despite lower incidence among Black women. For Black men, mortality exceeded that of White men by 14%. American Indian/Alaska Native adults saw similarly elevated mortality, with rates 13% higher in men and 22% higher in women compared with their White counterparts.
Education emerged as a powerful dividing line. Differences in mortality were “substantially larger by education than by race,” revealing how socioeconomic status amplifies racial inequities. Among adults with ≤12 years of education, cancer mortality soared—143% to 192% higher in men and 71% to 140% higher in women compared with those with a college degree.
Geography added another layer. Mortality was “21% higher in nonmetropolitan than in large metropolitan counties,” with lung and cervical cancers showing the widest gaps.
The authors warn that these patterns reflect “fundamental disparities in SDOH,” including limited access to prevention, early detection, and treatment. They call for broad implementation of evidence‑based interventions and policies that expand insurance coverage and strengthen Medicaid.
See: “American Cancer Society’s Report on the Status of Cancer Disparities in the United States, 2025” (October 10, 2025)
