Lung cancer, which is the second most common cancer in both men and women, accounts for about 13% of new cancers, according to the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society.
But despite the disease being the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, a large number of those diagnosed do not receive treatment. And the number is even higher among certain populations: particularly elderly, black patients.
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A new study, which looked at data between 2010 and 2014, found that black patients diagnosed with lung cancer were 22% less likely to receive the recommended treatment than their white peers.
The researchers looked at data from more than 441,000 patients who had been diagnosed with lung cancer. In addition to the racial disparity in treatment, researchers also found people 80 and older were 88% less likely than people under 50 years old to seek treatment.
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While researchers say factors like access and affordability may contribute to the gap, the full reason why people don’t seek treatment remains unknown.
"While these findings are very concerning, it has always been easier to identify disparities in care than it has been to understand why they persist," Dr. Douglas Arenberg, the study's author, said in a statement.
Researchers note that the data analyzed from the National Cancer Database does not include information about why individuals did not seek to pursue treatment options, such as the recommended rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, which are linked to higher odds of survival.
Doctors say that early and aggressive treatment is most effective in combating lung cancer. Depending on the stage and type of cancer, it's usually recommended that patients seek treatment options that include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, according to a report from Reuters health.
Additional findings include:
- Overall, about 60% of people diagnosed with lung cancer receive the full recommended treatment.
- About 22% of people received no treatment at all.
- Hispanic patients were 8% less likely than their white peers to receive treatment.
