July 8, 2009 --
Even when receiving equal treatment, a new study shows African-Americans are less likely than whites to survive certain types of cancer. The first-of-its-kind study involved 20,000 cancer patients nationwide. It found that the gap in survival between blacks and whites persisted for prostate, breast and ovarian cancer. The study offers evidence that hereditary and genetic factors play a role in at lease some disparities.
The findings are published online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.