Renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer, has approximately 270,000 new cases diagnosed annually worldwide, according to a study published in 2022 in the United States. Journal of Kidney Cancer and VHL. In the United States, the number of new cases of kidney cancer has increased dramatically from 58,000 in 2010 to 76,080 in 2021, with a rapid increase in more black Americans than white Americans, as shown in the journal BMC cancer.
Despite improvements in detection, treatment, and patient outcomes, black Americans must contend with a variety of obstacles to providing quality care for kidney cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects them. This situation is made worse by the tendency of blacks to blame themselves for their illness.
Challenges for black Americans with kidney cancer
The roadblocks black Americans face in diagnosing and treating kidney cancer are the same as they face when engaging with the American health care system, says M. Leonard Seard II, MD, a urologist at UCI Medical Center in Orange County, California.
Black Americans face difficulties paying for health care, getting care, getting educated about care, and overcoming caregiver biases, Dr. Cerd says. Research into cancer diagnosis and treatment amplifies the impact of these social, economic, clinical and environmental barriers.
From the initial imaging and possible biopsy that may be required for diagnosis to surgery or medications to treat kidney cancer, getting effective care depends on good access to affordable health care, says David Brown, MD, an oncologist and assistant professor of medicine at the College of Medicine. at Yale University and a member of the Yale Cancer Center. Because of systemic barriers, such as a lack of health insurance, bias from health care professionals, and limited access to transportation, access to health care is not always equal for black Americans.
