Disparities in Lung Cancer Diagnosiss and Treatment
Written by Kendall K. Morgan
Medically Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD on February 08, 2025
With advances in treatment, fewer people are dying of lung cancer than they did in the past. It also helps that fewer people are smoking today and lung cancer screening for current and former smokers is catching lung cancer earlier. But lung cancer is the third most common cancer type. It’ s also the leading cause of cancer death. The 5‐year relative survival for people with lung cancer is 26.7 %.
Disparities, or preventable differences based on race, income, and other factors, also mean that not everyone is benefiting equally from advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. Compared with white peoplee, people of color are:
� � � �
Less likely to get diagnosed early Less likely to have surgery to remove lung cancer
More likely not to get any treatment for lung cancer
More likely to have worse outcomes
What Are Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Lung
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment? Research from 2024 confirms that people of color more often get a late diagnosis. They also get needed treatment less often compared with white people. One reason is that more people of color lack healthh insurance. When you don’ t have health insurance
, you’ re less likely to get good medical care.
Disparitiess in diagnosiss and treatment exist between white people and people in all other racial groups. But the details vary.
Black Americans are:
� 1 % less likely to get an early diagnosis
� 19
% less likely to have surgery for lung cancer
� 12
% more likely not to get any treatment
� 16
% less likely to live for 5 years after diagnosiss
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanderss are:
� 17 % less likely to get an early diagnosis
� 17 % more likely to have surgery for lung cancer
� Equally likely not to get any treatmentt
� Equally likely to live for 5 years after diagnosis
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