A recent study highlights persistent racial disparities in cancer survival rates, revealing that Black patients continue to experience higher mortality rates than their White counterparts for several types of cancer. Researchers project that in 2025, 37,000 Black men and 36,240 Black women will die of cancer. Despite an overall decline in cancer mortality rates for Black patients, they still face significantly higher death rates for certain cancers.
The study, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, used data from U.S. databases to identify trends in cancer incidence and mortality among Black patients. It projects that 129,080 Black men and 119,390 Black women will be diagnosed with new invasive cancers in 2025. The most common diagnoses for Black women are breast, lung, and colorectal cancers, while for Black men, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers are most prevalent.
The researchers found that cancer incidence is declining for Black patients but rising for White patients. However, mortality rates are decreasing for both groups, with a more significant decline observed among Black patients. From 2012 to 2021, the average annual percent change in cancer incidence was -0.3% for Black patients and 0.2% for White patients. Mortality rates decreased by 2.0% annually for Black patients and 1.4% for White patients from 2013 to 2022.
The study calls for policy actions to reduce these disparities, including increasing diversity in clinical trials, improving provider education, and eliminating cost-sharing copays to enhance healthcare access.
See: “For Some Cancers, Black Patients Have Lower Survival Rates Than White Patients” (March 18, 2025)
