Significant Racial and Ethnic Discrepancies Among US Cancer Screening Rates

The number of cancer screenings among US citizens continues to be less than national targets, with considerable differences among Asian and Hispanic Americans, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), published in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to the study, “Cancer Screening in the United States – 2010”:

• Breast cancer screening rates were lower than the Healthy People 2020 target (72.4% vs 81%)
• Cervical cancer screening was 83% compared with the target of 93%
• Colorectal cancer screening was 58.6% versus the target of 70.5%

Furthermore, the study showed that when compared with other groups, screening rates for all 3 cancers were considerably lower among Asians:

• 64.1% for breast cancer
• 75.4% for cervical cancer
• 46.9% for colorectal cancer

According to the study, cancer screening rates for cervical cancer were lower for Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics (78.7% and 83.8%, respectively), and the same held true for colorectal cancer screening rates between the 2 ethnicities (46.5% and 59.9%, respectively).

“Healthy People objectives are important for monitoring progress toward reducing the burden of cancer in the United States. Our study points to the particular need for finding ways to increase the use of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening tests among Asians, Hispanics, as well as adults who lack health insurance or a usual source of health care” said Carrie Klabunde, PhD, an epidemiologist in NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and a co-author of the study.

“It is troubling to see that not all Americans are getting the recommended cancer screenings and that disparities continue to persist for certain populations. Screening can find breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers at an early stage when treatment is more effective,” said Sallyann Coleman King, MD, an epidemic intelligence service officer in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and lead author of the study. “We must continue to monitor cancer screening rates to improve the health of all Americans.”

According to the authors, efforts are needed to improve screening rates, such as developing systems for identifying an individual’s eligibility for cancer screening tests, actively promoting the use of screening tests, and monitoring participation.

Source: CDC.