The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has released its Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026, documenting measurable progress in reducing several longstanding cancer disparities while emphasizing that equitable access to cancer screening, diagnostic testing, treatment, and clinical trials remains essential to improving outcomes for medically underserved populations.
The report found that the overall US cancer death rate has declined by 35% since 1991, translating to more than 4.8 million fewer cancer deaths and a growing population of more than 18.6 million cancer survivors.
It also highlights substantial reductions in several disparities, including a narrowing of the overall cancer mortality gap between Black and white populations from 34% in 1991 to 9% in 2024, along with declines in disparities for lung cancer mortality, cervical cancer mortality among Hispanic women, and stomach cancer mortality among Asian or Pacific Islander populations.
Speaking during a congressional briefing on June 24, Mariana C. Stern, PhD, chair of the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026 Steering Committee, said the findings demonstrate the value of sustained investment in disparities research:
"This shows us that progress is possible—we know how to do it," Stern said. "And every time we learn why a cancer behaves differently in one population, we discover something that improves care for every patient in the United States."
Access to screening and diagnostics remains uneven
Despite these gains, the report concludes that disparities persist across the cancer care continuum, particularly in prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
Among the findings most relevant to laboratory medicine, breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates in 2023 were lower among people without a usual source of care, those who had not received recent wellness visits, and individuals facing barriers to accessing health care.
The report also found that more than 70% of US counties had no active cancer clinical trials in 2022, including 86% of nonmetropolitan counties, limiting access to investigational therapies and research participation.
Persistent disparities in cancer outcomes also remain.
Black and American Indian or Alaska Native populations continue to experience the nation's highest overall cancer death rates. Residents of rural counties are 17% more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 27% more likely to die from the disease than those living in metropolitan areas.
The report also identifies rising rates of early-onset colorectal cancer across all racial and ethnic groups, with the largest increases occurring among American Indian or Alaska Native populations, as well as increasing lung cancer incidence among Asian women who have never smoked.
According to the report, structural inequities—including differences in income, education, housing, environmental exposures, and access to health care—continue to shape cancer risk and outcomes.
It also highlights several interventions that have improved access to care, including culturally tailored screening initiatives, multilingual patient navigation programs that increased treatment completion among underserved patients, and Medicaid expansion, which has been associated with improved access to surgical treatment and better survival for patients with pancreatic cancer.
"The common thread across all these disparities is access. And here is the encouraging part—when access improves, survival improves," Stern said.
She also emphasized the importance of ensuring that new therapies are evaluated in the populations most affected by cancer.
"When we ensure a new drug is tested among patients that represent the diversity of the US population and those most affected by the cancer, we develop medicines that work better for all of us," Stern added.
Policy priorities
The report calls on policymakers to:
- Sustain federal investment in cancer disparities research
- Strengthen cancer surveillance systems and data collection
- Ensure diverse representation in clinical trials
- Expand equitable access to prevention, screening, genetic testing, follow-up care, and treatment
- Support policies such as Medicaid coverage that improve access to care
- Continue building a cancer research and healthcare workforce that reflects the populations it serves
AACR CEO Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), said the organization intends to continue prioritizing cancer disparities research despite ongoing political challenges:
"We know that certain political leaders in this town are not happy with our work on cancer disparities, and we will not be affected by that. We will continue to strengthen our work in this area and make sure that it remains central to the future of cancer science and medicine, and make sure we can save more lives from this disease," Foti said.
Stern said reducing disparities ultimately benefits every patient by strengthening both cancer research and clinical care.
"Reducing disparities is not a benefit for the field, it is how we make science and medicine better for everyone and how we will finally reduce the burden of cancer across the country," Stern said.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
