Cancer deaths plague African-American community

Cancer deaths among African-Americans are declining but remain at a rate higher than for any other racial and ethnic group in the U.S., according to an American Cancer Society report, "Cancer Facts & Figures for African-Americans, 2009-2010."

The causes of the disparities are complex and likely reflect social and economic disparities, not biological differences, said Otis W. Brawley, MD, the cancer society's chief medical officer.

The report also found that among African-Americans, those with more education have lower cancer death rates. But at each level of education, African-Americans have higher death rates than do whites.

The report predicts that in 2009, the most commonly diagnosed cancers among African-American men will be prostate, lung and colon/rectum. Among African-American women, the most common cancers are expected to be breast, lung and colon/rectum.