Despite a high likelihood of death, black patients are much less inclined to have surgery for early stage lung cancer than whites, often because of a communication gulf between them and their doctors, scientists at UNC-Chapel Hill report today.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, UNC-CH researchers surveyed nearly 400 patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer to determine what factors influenced their treatment decisions.
For black patients, who have long had worse outcomes for lung cancer than whites, just 55 percent chose surgery to remove the tumor – the only lifesaving option when cancer is diagnosed early. Sixty-six percent of white patients chose surgery.
I’d say that as well as an obvious cultural disparity there’s also a class issue here. I’d be willing to bet that working and lower class whites would have much the same constellation of problems. And working to lower class Latinos, as well.