Blacks Have The Highest Rates of Pancreatic Cancer, But We’re Missing From Pancreatic Cancer Trials

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest types of cancer in the United States, with the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimating about 66,440 new diagnoses and 51,750 deaths in 2024.  The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is currently 12 percent. A five-year survival rate is the percentage of people in a study or treatment group alive five years after initial diagnosis or treatment for a disease, such as cancer. Black Americans have a higher incidence rate of developing pancreatic cancer than white, Asian, and Hispanic Americans, however, Black Americans are also less likely to participate in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.  Black Americans have a pancreatic cancer incidence rate of 16.2, followed by 13.8 for hites, 12.1 for Hispanics, and 10.1 for Asian/Pacific Islanders per 100,000 people in the United States.  These statistics suggest underlying racial disparities throughout the continuum of pancreatic cancer care, leading Black Americans to have worse health outcomes. Black Americans have worse pancreatic cancer outcomes A new study published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science examined the racial and ethnic composition of patients with pancreatic conditions at the statewide Indiana University (IU) Health system. The study’s goal was to get deeper insights into possible racial...