Older black patients are less likely than whites toreceive the recommended treatment for cancer, according to a new study.
The largest disparities were seen in the treatment oflung, colon and rectal cancers, the journal Cancer reported. Yale UniversitySchool of Medicine researchers examined cancer treatment for more than 143,000U.S. residents who were treated for various cancers from 1992 to 2002 underMedicare.
One example of racial disparity in treatment: Among thosewith early-state lung cancer, blacks were 19% less likely to have tumorssurgically removed than whites. Institutional racism accounts for much of theproblem, one expert said.
