NIH Research Finds Disparities in Lung Cancer Mortality Between Urban and Rural Populations
The National Institutes of Health shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Nadia Howlader et al. published in Cancer:
“In a new study of lung cancer mortality trends in the United States, researchers examined differences among Black and White populations, as well as urban and rural communities.
The researchers—based at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program—reported that lung cancer death rates between Black and White men became more similar, but significant disparities remain between urban and rural populations. The more rapid decline in mortality rates in urban areas suggests that recent advancements in lung cancer treatment may be less accessible to rural populations. The findings were published in the journal Cancer
Previous studies found higher lung cancer incidence and mortality rates in rural areas. For this study, the researchers—including Dr. Douglas Lowy, acting director of the National Cancer Institute—compared incidence and mortality trends by both race and urban-rural residence.
The authors analyzed data from death certificates and the U.S. Cancer Statistics public use database, which combines data from SEER registries and the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries. They measured lung cancer mortality (1990–2021) and incidence (2001–2021) trends by race, sex, and urban-rural status.
Since the 1990s, lung cancer death rates declined more rapidly for Black men, significantly narrowing the gap with White men. However, the death rate among White women remained consistently higher than that of Black women.
The researchers also found that rural areas had higher lung cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to urban areas.
Other findings include:
- From 2013 to 2021, lung cancer incidence rates declined similarly among Black and White men in both urban and rural areas.
- Mortality rates decreased faster for urban Black and White men compared to their rural counterparts.
- Incidence and mortality rates declined faster for urban Black and White women than for rural women.
While the disparity in lung cancer mortality between White and Black men narrowed substantially, differences by urban-rural status persist.
The authors suggest patients in urban areas had lower death rates due to better access to the latest advances in lung cancer treatment.”
Title: Urban–rural disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality patterns in Black and White populations
Authors: Nadia Howlader, Kathleen A. Cronin, Mandi Yu, Daniel Miller, Douglas R. Lowy
Read the Full Article on Cancer
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