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Cancer is the most prolific silent killer of African Americans in the U.S. For most types of cancer, Blacks have the highest death rates and shortest survival rates of any racial or ethnic group in the nation.
Though Black women are 41 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, the cancer mortality rate is highest among Black men (227 per 100,000) compared to other groups. Males are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate, lung, colorectal, kidney, liver and pancreatic cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of cancer among African Americans is influenced by a number of factors including socioeconomic status, diet, health and lifestyle behaviors, genetic factors and late diagnosis. The agency notes that not only do more Black men report frequent tobacco usage; African Americans are more likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke; have lack of access to healthy food options (including fresh produce; are more likely to suffer from stress-induced illnesses that lead to substance, alcohol and food abuse; and have less access to quality health care, due to a lack of insurance, transportation or availability.
With those statistics in mind, Governor JB Pritzker through the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) declared March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to not only spread awareness but to encourage regular screenings.
“Colorectal cancer screening saves lives,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer death in the United States, behind only lung cancer. We know, for many, that it can be scary or inconvenient to get screened, but most types of colorectal cancers are preventable or treatable when detected early.”
According to the IDPH, colorectal cancer has a five-year survival rate of around 90 percent when detected early. However, that number dips to just 10% when the cancer is not detected at the onset and spreads to other parts of the body. Testing is key to early detection.
In 2023, 6,200 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in Illinois, and more than 2,100 people lost their lives to the illness in the state last year. Incidences of colorectal cancer are higher among Black, non-Hispanic males and females.
Determining which test would be most effective, and how often it should be conducted, involves multiple factors including the patient’s age, overall health, family history, and risk factors. Patients should consult with their health care provider to determine which screening method would be most beneficial. Regular screenings are generally recommended for persons between the ages of 45 to 75, but those under 45 who may be at high risk should also consult their medical provider about testing.
The steady rise of various cancers among African Americans gained another spotlight when it revealed U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had been diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. The diagnosis came to light in December 2023, when White House officials were questioned about the secretary’s whereabouts during a critical period in the wars in Ukraine and Palestine.
U.S. officials said Austin underwent a “minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat and cure prostate cancer,” and following a complication, he was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center two weeks later. Doctors said in a statement “the cancer was treated early and (Austin’s) prognosis is “excellent.”
Prostate cancer arises when there are DNA changes in prostate cells. In its early stages while few symptoms are made known, men may experience trouble with urination including difficulty starting or frequent urination, blood in the urine or semen, or experiencing pain or a burning sensation in the urinary tract.
In terms of colorectal cancer (commonly known as colon cancer), there has been a slight decrease in the number of people diagnosed with the disease. In Illinois there was a decrease from 50.9 per 100,000 in 2008 to 40.4 per 100,000 in 2017, the CDC reported. From 2011 to 2019, incidence rates dropped about 1 percent each year, only among older adults.
Despite the overall decline, colorectal cancer has seen a rapid shift in diagnosis at younger ages, and at more advanced stages (particularly in the left colon/rectum, according to statistics offered by the National Library of Medicine. Colorectal cancer cases among adults younger than 55 increased from 11 percent in 1995 to 20 percent in 2019. In 2020, beloved “Black Panther” and [Thurgood] “Marshall” actor Chadwick Boseman, 43, died from the disease, after a four-year battle. He was originally diagnosed at stage three.
Common symptoms include a noticeable change in bowel habits; rectal bleeding or blood in the stood; persistent abdominal discomfort, weakness or fatigue, and unexplained weight loss. Because those warning signs may also be attributed to other health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, people are encouraged to seek immediate evaluation by a qualified healthcare provider. In some African American communities, people attempt various alternative or folk remedies for extended periods of time before seeking the advice of a medical professional.
Black women on the other hand, are most at risk for both breasts and cervical cancers. In 2022, an estimated 287,850 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Mostly impacting women aged 50 or older, the disease has seen growth among younger women, according to the American Cancer Society. This trend was recently identified in a recent study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri. The increase is attributed to a higher incidence of estrogen-receptor positive tumors, or cancerous growths fueled by estrogen.
“For most women, regular breast cancer screening does not begin until at least age 40, so younger women diagnosed with breast cancer tend to have later-stage tumors, when the disease is more advanced and more difficult to treat,” said senior author Adetunji T. Toriola, M.D., PhD, a professor of surgery and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Siteman Cancer Center at the University’s School of Medicine.
The study analyzed data from over 217,000 U.S. women diagnosed with any type of breast cancer from 2000 through 2019.
In terms of cervical cancer, which is both preventable and treatable, Black women are the second mostly likely to be impacted by the disease. African American females are 80 percent more likely, however, to die from this form of cancer than their white counterparts. In addition, the overall five-year cervical cancer survival rate is lower for Black females as well. The disparity becomes even greater when age is factored in.
Human Rights Watch, tracking cancer data in Georgia, released a scathing report about the disease and disparities in testing and treatment especially among rural African American women. Black women over age 70 were almost three times as likely to die from cervical cancer due to a lack of screenings for elderly women.
“Cervical cancer deaths aren’t just a tragedy, they reveal systemic exclusion from lifesaving health care and information,” Annerieke Daniel, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said upon the study’s release in 2022. “Rural communities face great difficulty just getting to a doctor, and the stark racial disparities in outcomes show a clear pattern of discrimination and neglect.”
According to the IDPH, the incidence of cervical cancer decreased from 9.7 per 100,000 in 2008 to 7.3 per 100,000 in 2017, the most recent data available. Among the leading causes of cancer deaths in Illinois women, cervical cancer is number 14 out of 18. The primary risk factor for cervical cancer is having an HPV infection, a treatable, common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sex. Screening for cervical cancer is recommended for women ages 21 to 65 years.
The IDPH Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan 2022-2027 shows that lung cancer reigned supreme among all cancer deaths in Illinois and the rest of the country. In Illinois, the rate of new lung cancer cases was 59.67 per 100,000 people, an average that is higher than the national rate at 54.6 per 100,000.
The Control Plan noted that lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women and the most common cause of cancer deaths. In 2020, lung cancer led to “more deaths than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers combined.” It also noted that 80 percent of all lung cancer diagnoses are related to cigarette smoking.
The American Lung Association notes in Illinois, an estimated 9,440 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022, and 5,140 people passed away from the disease. The organization also said the rate of new lung cancer cases among Black residents in Illinois is significantly higher than the rate among white residents.
“Lung cancer is usually fatal because most cases are diagnosed at a late stage and treatment has generally been ineffective,” the IDPH Cancer Control Plan noted. “However, over the past two decades, advances in the understanding of tumor biology and the development of targeted treatment, coupled with the introduction of screening, have led to exciting improvements in survival.” By all accounts, early detection and ending the usage of cigarette tobacco is key.
Cook County government has moved to protect people from environmental hazards that might lead to lung cancer. On Jan 1, 2024, HB2217 went into effect, requiring landlords to provide tenants in units below the third story with records of radon concentrations within the unit before completing the lease agreement. Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking, according to environmental justice advocates. Reportedly, about 1,500 people in Illinois will be diagnosed with radon-induced lung cancer–more than 4 people a day.
In 2019, nearly 857,000 households in Cook County rented their homes, or 43.2 percent of all households, according to the Institute for Housing Studies, and renters are now subject to providing radon-level reports to new tenants.
Last year, University of Chicago Medicine announced plans for a new cancer pavilion and broke ground in September 2023. The $815 million, 575,000-square-foot-facility, will become Illinois’ first and only standalone structure dedicated to cancer care and research. It plans to open to patients in 2027.
“This project represents our latest bold move to make an even bigger difference in cancer care and research,” said Tom Jackiewicz, president of the University of Chicago Health System. “This new pavilion will advance scientific discovery so that we can find cures, shape the future of oncology care and treatment, and reduce the cancer burden in the communities that we serve.”
The report was made possible by the Inland Foundation and the Crusader Newspaper Foundation.
