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

April 16, 2026
National

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 16, 2026 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) released a new report today showing the scope of cancer disparities in the United States and recommended local, state and federal policies that can help reduce them. Cancer Disparities: An American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Chartbook examines disparities in cancer screening, prevention and early detection, disparities in cancer incidence, mortality and survival, as well as disparities in access to health coverage.

March 25, 2026
Massachusetts

Cancer survivors and caregivers urge lawmakers to support legislation that will increase access to precision medicine through biomarker testing.

March 13, 2026
National

This week, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network submitted comments in a letter opposing several policies in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule for plan year 2027.

January 14, 2026
Alabama

MONTOMERY, Ala. -- Earlier today, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed Senate Bill 19 , which would make prostate cancer screenings more accessible and affordable for patients at high-risk for the disease. In response, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Alabama Government Relations Director Jane Adams

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.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) urges Congress to reauthorize the the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to provide the program greater flexibility to NBCCEDP grantees, enabling them to implement evidence-based lifesaving screening, diagnostic, and treatment services and continue the innovative work aimed to reduce breast and cervical cancer disparities by passing the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) forCancer Act (H.R. 2381/S. 1866). This is critical to overall efforts to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity toprevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.