"African Americans in the US still have the highest death rate and lowest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group for most cancers. About 202,260 new cancer cases and 73,030 cancer deaths are expected among blacks in the US in 2019.

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Much of the difference is because of lower socioeconomic status and less access to medical care.

For example, the study authors note that in 2017, the proportion of blacks living below the federal poverty level (21%) was more than double that of whites (9%), and 22% of blacks had completed 4 years of college compared with 36% of whites. People with lower socioeconomic status face more barriers to high-quality health care, including lack of insurance.

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About 98,020 cancer cases in black men and 104,240 cases in black women are expected to be newly diagnosed in 2019. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in black men, and breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed in black women. Each makes up nearly one-third of cancers diagnosed in each gender. Lung and colorectal cancers are the second and third most commonly diagnosed cancers in both black men and women. Together, the 4 most common cancers (breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung) account for more than one-half (54%) of all cancer cases among blacks."