Cancer-related disparities

This chapter describes disparities in cancer incidence, prevalence, and mortality in Appalachia, as well as differences in contributing factors such as cancer screening behaviors (e.g., mammography) and cancer-related behaviors (e.g., tobacco use). It focuses on the four leading anatomic sites of cancer (lung/bronchus, colon/rectum, female breast, and prostate) and the two cancers (cancer of the cervix and cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx) for which screening tests are available and for which data sources exist on potential disparities in Appalachia. Information on these disparities is drawn from published literature as well as from rates and proportions determined from six state-based central cancer registries, each containing an Appalachian area and each participating in the Appalachian Community Cancer Network (ACCN). The ACCN, discussed in more detail later, is a National Institutes of Health-funded project addressing cancer healtha disparities in seven states containing Appalachian counties. The data presented on cancer incidence and mortality rates come from cancer registries maintained by state departments of health, and the data concerning cancer-related behaviors are taken from state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research and policy directions.