Elijah Cummings: “this week marks the 15th annual National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, to highlight and bring attention to the cancer…”

“this week marks the 15th annual National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, to highlight and bring attention to the cancer care needs of socioeconomically disadvantaged and medically underserved communities. I come to the floor today to recognize the American Cancer Society, the Intercultural Cancer Council, and the National Center for Minority Health and Disparities at the National Institutes of Health for their continued work to increase the awareness of cancer and reduce health disparities among minorities. While there has been a decline in cancer mortality since 1991, cancer still is the second leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 555,500 deaths each year. That is more than 1,500 deaths a day. But what is most disheartening and most disturbing is that minority and medically underserved populations continue to bear a startling disproportionate share of the Nation's cancer burden. According to the American Cancer Society, African American men and women have a cancer death rate of about 33 percent higher than whites. Among women younger than 50 years of age, African Americans are more likely to develop breast cancer than whites. Prostate cancer will claim the lives of more than twice as many African American men as men of other racial and ethnic groups. African Americans are at a significantly higher risk of death from intrauterine and bladder cancers.”