Breast and Cervical cancer disparities in Alabama: current scenario, ongoing efforts to reduce the disparity gaps, and what more we could be doing

Abstract

Over the years, we have made considerable progress in our understanding of the biology of various cancers leading to advancements in their management strategies. Consequently, we have witnessed steady improvements in survival rates of cancer patients post-diagnosis. The progress; however, has been slow for some cancer types and the advances in cancer care have not benefited all the communities equally in the United States. The state of Alabama has one of the most diverse demographics in the country and as a result, we witness significant health disparities among our populations. Breast and cervical cancers are the two major cancer types that disparately affect the women in our state. Here, we describe the extent of disparities in the diagnosis and death rates from these cancers in the state of Alabama and discuss potential underlying causes affecting the health outcomes. We also discuss ongoing efforts undertaken to reduce the disparity gaps and provide a perspective for addressing these disparities more effectively.

Keywords: African American; Breast Cancer; Cancer Health Disparities; Caucasian American; Cervical Cancer.

Figure1.. Incidence and mortality of breast and cervical cancer in Alabama.

(A) Rate of incidence per 100,000 women with black and white racial background (B) Rate of mortality per 100,000 women with black and white racial background.

Figure 2.

Schematic diagram showing different factors involved in cancer health disparities in Alabama.