Reducing Health Disparities

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Cancer impacts everyone, but it doesn’t impact everyone equally. We are working to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.

From ensuring greater diversity among clinical trial participants to improving access to quality, affordable health care, we are asking lawmakers to reduce disparities in cancer care by advancing policies that break down existing barriers.

Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women overall

Latest Updates

July 22, 2026
National

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate today introduced legislation aimed at eliminating health disparities. Sponsored by Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 offers a comprehensive policy framework that will help address health inequities that intersect with race and ethnicity as well as geography, immigration status, age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, language and socioeconomic status. The bill includes policy solutions that will help bolster cancer research and improve access to cancer prevention, early detection and care.

July 13, 2026
National

Nearly 200 patient advocacy, public health and health care professional organizations sent a letter to the Senate declaring their strong support for the Clinical Trial Modernization Act (S. 4440/H.R. 3521). The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help remove cost and geographic barriers that keep patients from enrolling and participating in clinical trials. The bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Mark Warner (D-VA) in April 2026 and in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2025 by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) and August Pfluger (R-TX).

May 13, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC – According to a new American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) survey, more than half (53%) of cancer patients and survivors living in rural communities find it difficult to afford their cancer care. Half have incurred medical debt related to the costs of that care,

May 1, 2026
National

A new bill that would improve access to clinical trials was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. Sponsored by Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), the Clinical Trial Modernization Act (S. 4440) would help reduce cost and geographic barriers, making it easier for patients to take part in clinical trials. U.S. Representatives Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and August Pfluger (R-Texas) introduced the House version (H.R. 3521) of this legislation in May 2025.

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

Cancer impacts everyone, but it doesn’t impact everyone equally. For the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer – regardless of income, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or where they live. ACS CAN advocates for evidence-based policies that reduce the cancer burden for everyone and is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) supports policies and funding that increase access to “Food is Medicine” (or food as medicine) initiatives and interventions intended to prevent, treat, or manage chronic diseases and often address food and nutrition insecurity.

Our latest survey finds that about half of cancer patients and survivors (49%) have incurred medical debt to pay for their cancer care and another 13% expect to incur medical debt as they begin or continue their treatment. Nearly all of those (98%) had health care coverage at the time they accumulated medical debt. This survey also explores the broad health and financial implications of medical debt, how medical debt deepens inequites, and the alarming rate of cancer related medical debt among younger respondents with early diagnoses.