Advocating for Equitable Cancer Care: A Call to Establish Comprehensive Survivorship Programming and Enhance Genetic Testing Discussions

Two new measurements have been added to the Health Equity Report Card (HERC)—a tool for improving the quality and equity of cancer care. This expansion is part of ongoing efforts to address the impact of structural and interpersonal racism as a cause of disparities in cancer outcomes in the United States.

MD Anderson launches collaborative initiative to reduce breast cancer disparities in Houston area

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center launches a community-wide health care initiative to reduce breast cancer disparities in the Houston area, particularly for Black women. Texas Health Equity Alliance for Breast Cancer (THEAL), seeks to lower the Black/white breast cancer mortality gap in Harris County by 15% over the next decade.

Preschoolers From Low-Income Families May Have Worse Health and Benefit Less From Health Promotion Interventions Than Children With Higher Socioeconomic Status

Mount Sinai study focused on Harlem preschools emphasizes the need for specialized health promotion programs in classrooms starting at an early age

American Heart Association’s ASA adopts Spanish-language R.A.P.I.D.O. acronym for stroke awareness created by UTHealth Houston

R.Á.P.I.D.O., a culturally relevant acronym created under the leadership of Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD, RN, at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston to raise awareness of stroke signs in the Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino community and save lives, has been adopted by the American Stroke Association (ASA), the organization announced today.

Overdose deaths from fentanyl laced stimulants have risen 50-fold since 2010

New UCLA-led research has found that the proportion of US overdose deaths involving both fentanyl and stimulants has increased more than 50-fold since 2010, from 0.6% (235 deaths) in 2010 to 32.3% (34,429 deaths) in 2021. This rise in constitutes the ‘fourth wave’ in the US’s long-running opioid overdose crisis

Most Non-English Speakers in the U.S. Are Turned Away Before Their First Cancer Visit According to New Research in JNCCN

New study in JNCCN from the University of Michigan found English speakers who call a hospital general information line were able to get information on next steps to access cancer care 94% of the time, compared to 38% for Spanish speakers and just 28% for Mandarin speakers.

Mount Sinai Researchers Find Asian Americans to Have Significantly Higher Exposure to “Toxic Forever” Chemicals

Asian Americans have significantly higher exposure than other ethnic or racial groups to PFAS, a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals also known as “toxic forever” chemicals, Mount Sinai-led researchers report.

CHOP Researchers Validate Pediatric “Allergic March” in Largest National Study of its Kind

In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) used electronic health record (EHR) data from more than 200,000 pediatric patients to describe patterns of pediatric allergies across the United States, validating a population-level pattern of allergy development known as the “allergic march,” in which allergies first present as eczema, followed by food allergies, asthma, and environmental allergies. The researchers also found that a rare food allergy called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which has historically been considered a disease affecting primarily White males, is more common among non-White patients than previously reported.

People with disabilities who have alcohol problems need more treatment and recovery options

One in four Americans live with a disability, which is associated with stigma and disparities in health care. New research examined differences in alcohol use by disability status and types of disability, and found a need for a range of accommodations in alcohol treatment and recovery services – including technology-based options. These results and others will be shared at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.

Health Equity Report Card Pilot Project to Help Close the Care Gap Highlighted on World Cancer Day

An ongoing pilot project aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing the Health Equity Report Card (HERC) as a tool for improving the quality and equity of cancer care and continues the Elevating Cancer Equity collaboration from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF)–highlighted on World Cancer Day.

UTHealth Houston researchers analyze cancer discrepancies among young Black men in the South

Research shows that incidences of Kaposi’s sarcoma among people living with HIV have fallen significantly over the past two decades, but a new evaluation of data led by researchers at UTHealth Houston highlights a significant disparity among one particular demographic – young Black men in the American South.

UCSF Launches Initiative to Address Disparities in Pulse Oximetry Performance

The UCSF Hypoxia Laboratory and UCSF Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA) are formally launching the Open Oximetry Project, a multi-year initiative to improve access to safe pulse oximeters worldwide, by sharing data and creating new standards and technologies for oximeter validation that better account for skin color.

New onset chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes highest among ethnic, racial minorities

New onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with diabetes is highest among racial and ethnic minority groups compared with white persons, a UCLA-Providence study finds. The study, published as a letter to the editor in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that new onset CKD rates were higher by approximately 60%, 40%, 33%, and 25% in the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic/Latino populations, respectively, compared to white persons with diabetes.

UTHealth Houston study: Lower cancer screening rates differ by region, tied to social vulnerability

Populations in U.S. counties defined as more vulnerable based on social factors including socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic minority status were significantly less likely to receive timely breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings, according to research from UTHealth Houston.

Nationally representative study shows disparities persist in lipid control

Physician-scientists assessed whether lipid concentrations and rates of lipid control changed among U.S. adults from 2007 to 2018. The researchers observed that while mean cholesterol concentrations improved among U.S. adults overall during this time period, there were concerning variations in these trends by race and ethnicity.

When heart-assisting implants could save a life, patients who are Black or female don’t get them as often

Black people and women with severe heart failure who might be good candidates for surgery to implant a heart-assisting device have a lower chance of actually getting that operation than white patients, or male patients, a new study finds.

Study Finds Delays in Initial Cystic Fibrosis Evaluation in Infants of Color

Infants from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds who have positive newborn screening tests for cystic fibrosis received their diagnostic follow-up for the disease later than recommended and later than white, non-Hispanic infants, according to a study published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. The study also found that this delay in diagnosis and treatment was associated with worse early nutritional outcomes and may contribute to previously documented, considerable health disparities in people with cystic fibrosis.

Black Patients Found Six Times More Likely to Have Advanced Vision Loss After Glaucoma Diagnosis Than White Patients

Black patients have a dramatically higher risk of advanced vision loss after a new diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) when compared to white patients, according to a new study from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE).

Cardiac death rates declined for both Black and white Americans since 1999, but racial disparities persist

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center conducted a comprehensive investigation of national trends in cardiovascular mortality among Black and white women and men across multiple socio-demographic domains and found a decline in cardiovascular mortality rates across all groups over the last 20 years.

Disparities in opioid treatment access remain for women, Black and Hispanic people

Buprenorphine is a prescription approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that effectively treats opioid dependence or addiction. But women, as well as Black and Hispanic populations, do not have equal access to this potentially lifesaving medication, new Mayo Clinic research finds.

Study Finds Disparities in RA Disease Activity and Physical Function Across Racial and Ethnic Groups

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, found that racial and ethnic disparities for disease activity persist in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Black and Hispanic patients often had higher disease activity and lower self-reported functional status when compared to white patients.

Intervention eliminates Black-white gaps in survival from early-stage breast and lung cancer

A new study shows that system-level changes to the way cancer care is delivered can also eliminate Black-white disparities in survival from early-stage lung and breast cancer. By identifying and addressing obstacles that kept patients from finishing radiation treatments for cancer, the intervention improved five-year survival rates for all patients and erased the survival gap between Black and white patients. Findings will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

UCI-led study finds disparities in severe illness and lengthy hospitalizations between undocumented and Medi-Cal patients

Lithium is a common medication prescribed to patients with psychiatric disorders, namely bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. It is used as a mood stabilizer and lessens the intensity of manic episodes, with particular benefit in reducing suicidality. While highly effective, the drug requires routine blood monitoring, which can be uncomfortable, expensive, and inconvenient for patients who must travel to clinical labs for frequent blood testing.

Secure media credentials to cover “Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes in Black Women: Time for a Change”

A live press briefing featuring a panel of nationally recognized experts will follow their presentation “Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes in Black Women: Time for a Change” at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) annual ACS Clinical Congress being held virtually (October 23–27).

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Expert Available for Comment on Disparities in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

New Brunswick, N.J., August 24 2021 – Cancer is a disease that can impact anyone, but it does not impact everyone equally. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Black women, and Black women…

Mount Sinai Researchers Report Troubling Increase in Homebound Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics, During Pandemic

In a study to be published this coming Monday, August 23, at 11 am Eastern (please note embargo) in JAMA Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai researchers discuss a troubling rise in homebound older adults that underlines the inequality of the pandemic.

NCCN Policy Summit Explores How COVID-19 Pandemic Can Lead to Improvements in Cancer Care

NCCN Policy Summit examines the impact of the past year on oncology policy in the U.S., such as resuming recommended screening and clinical trials, applying health innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic to cancer treatment, and addressing systemic inequalities that lead to disparities in outcomes.

Breast Cancer Study: African Americans Not Experiencing Complete Response to Extent Other Groups Are

Researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center led the largest study to date to suggest an improving trend in pathologic complete response rates over time for U.S. cancer patients of various races. The team’s findings, documented in a poster presentation at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology virtual annual meeting (abstract 575), show that African Americans are more likely than patients from any other group to have remaining disease following breast cancer treatment.

Disparities in COVID-19 Rates among Adults with Kidney Failure in New York City

• Among adults with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis in New York City, Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19 than White patients.
• Neighborhood-level social vulnerability factors were associated with COVID-19 incidence among White patients, but these factors did not explain racial/ethnic disparities.

Study Estimates Two-Thirds of COVID-19 Hospitalizations Due to Four Conditions

A new study estimates 64% of adult COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. may have been prevented if there were less obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. The model suggests notable differences by age and race/ethnicity in COVID-19 hospitalizations related to these conditions.

Addressing Breastfeeding Disparities for African American Mothers

An abundance of data underscore the importance of breastfeeding and human milk for the optimal health of infants, children, mothers, and society. But while breastfeeding initiation rates have increased to more than 80% in the U.S., a disparity exists for African American mothers and infants. In this group, breastfeeding is initiated only about 69% of the time.

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING ANNOUNCES NEWLY ENDOWED CHAIR AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

The new positions reflect MSK’s commitment to expanding patient access to cancer care and supporting ongoing research aimed at reducing cancer disparities that stem from racial, ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers.