Cancer disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status
CA Cancer J Clin. 2004 Mar-Apr;54(2):72-7.

This article highlights disparities in cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in relation to race/ethnicity, and census data on poverty in the county or census tract of residence. Even when census tract poverty rate is accounted for, however, African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander men and African American and American Indian/Alaskan Native women have lower five-year survival than non-Hispanic Whites. More detailed analyses of selected cancers show large variations in cancer survival by race and ethnicity. Opportunities to reduce cancer disparities exist in prevention (reductions in tobacco use, physical inactivity, and obesity), early detection (mammography, colorectal screening, Pap tests), treatment, and palliative care.

“Patient-physician relationship and racial disparities in the quality of health care”
American Journal of Public Health October 2003, Vol 93, 1713-1719

These studies have consistently found that quality of patient–physician interactions was generally lower among non-White patients, particularly Hispanics and Asians. The finding of lower patient–physician interaction quality among Hispanics and Asians was explained in part by differences in physicians’ cultural sensitivity and in patients’ health literacy. The authors found that health literacy had a significant influence on quality of patient–physician interactions, satisfaction with health care, and use of health services. This finding suggests that the path to reducing cross-cultural barriers between patients and physicians may be a 2-way street. Increasing patients’ ability to understand the language and culture of health care may be as important as improving the interpersonal skills and cultural competence of physicians.

A decade of research on disparities in Medicare Utilization: Lessons for the Health and Health care of Vulnerable Men
Am J Public Health.2003; 93: 753-759

It shown here that there is empirical evidence that, among men enrolled in Medicare, Blacks undergo fewer prostate screening examinations and receive fewer influenza immunizations than Whites; in addition, men (either White or Black) who are less economically advantaged have fewer prostate screening examinations and influenza immunizations than men who are more advantaged. There is also evidence that factors other than race and SES influence use of health care services. It has been shown here that men who have had a prostate screening examination (White or Black, high income or low income) are more likely to receive an influenza immunization than men who have not had such an examination, suggesting that behavioral factors play a significant role in health care.

Culture, race, and Disparity in Health Care
Despite talk about “United we stand”, we remain a country divided by race and culture and the percentage of minority (non-White, non-English speaking) people is on the rise. And to be a member of minority in American is to be at risk of a host of adverse outcomes, at least some of which are due to suboptimal care. And at least some of the suboptimal care may be due to poor communication. Despite advances in medicine, minority Americans face pervasive disparities in health-measurable differences in disease incidence, morbidity and mortality – and in the care they receive.

Editorial article, which is available in -
Culture, race, and disparities in health care

Excess Cervical Cancer Mortality
Since screening programs using the Papanicolaou test (Pap test) were implemented widely more than 50 years ago, cervical cancer deaths have declined 75 percent nationwide. Yet cervical cancer still takes the lives of approximately 4,000 women in the United States each year. Women living in regions of high cervical cancer mortality rates also experience high mortality rates for other conditions that can be identified through screening, and successfully treated if identified early. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) postulates that cervical cancer is an indicator of larger health system concerns such as: infrastructure, access, culturally competent communication, and patient/provider education deficits that disproportionately affect members of particular racial and ethnic minority subgroups and other underserved women who also are subject to the negative effects of poverty on health status. CRCHD convened more than 180 Federal, state, and local planning and program personnel, policy-makers, researchers, clinicians, advocates, educators, and communications specialists as participants in its Cervical Cancer Mortality Project (CCMP) to explore the components of the problem, identifies critical needs, and suggests actions to meet those needs. This report compiles recommendations from more than 180 multi-disciplinary experts who participated in the Cervical Cancer Mortality Project (CCMP) in order to explore the components of the problem, identify critical needs, and suggest actions to meet those needs

Excess Cervical Cancer Mortality

Voices of a Broken System: Real People, Real Problems
Voices of a Broken System

Making Cancer Health Disparities History - USDHHS, March 2004
Making Cancer Health Disparities History