Reducing Health Disparities

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Volunteers at the Capitol

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

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New Survey Finds Majority of Cancer Patients and Survivors More Likely to Participate in Clinical Trials if They Received Financial Support to Offset Participation Costs

August 19, 2026
National

According to a new American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) survey, 89% of cancer patients and survivors say they would be more likely to participate in a clinical trial outside their local area if trial sponsors helped them organize or pay for travel and lodging to offset the extra travel.

House and Senate Introduce Bill Aimed at Reducing Health Disparities and Combatting Chronic Disease

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.

Nearly 200 Patient, Public Health and Health Care Professional Groups Strongly Endorse Bill that Would Improve Patient Access to Clinical Trials

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).

New ACS CAN Survey Finds More than Half of Cancer Patients and Survivors in Rural Communities Report Difficulty Affording Cancer Care

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,

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

Addressing Disparities in Cancer Across the Country

September 9, 2020

In order to reduce cancer mortality we must fight to achieve health equity, the just and fair opportunity for everyone to prevent, find, treat and survive cancer. This document shows a snapshot of how ACS CAN is fighting for health equity at the national, state and local levels.

2018 Cancer Disparities Chartbook

October 17, 2018

Despite the fact that US cancer death rates have decreased by 26 percent from 1991 to 2015, not all Americans have benefited equally from the advances in prevention, early detection, and treatments that have helped achieve these lower rates.

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