The racial gap in cancer deaths is finally narrowing, a new report finds.
Nearly 30 years ago black patients had a 33 percent higher cancer death than white patients, but this has fallen to just 16 percent higher.
Black men, who once had a 47 higher cancer death rate than white men, now have a 19 percent higher rate.
Meanwhile, black women had a 19 percent greater cancer death rate three decades ago, which has fallen to a 13 percent greater rate.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) say the main reason for the drop is that smoking rates fell more dramatically in black people in the past 40 years, and that's paying off in fewer deaths now.
However, the team adds that this gap persists because of differences in socioeconomic status and lack of insurance coverage.
A new report has found that black patients had a 33 percent higher cancer death than white patients 30 years ago. Today, the rate is 16 percent higher (file image)
The tri-annual report, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program at the National Cancer Institute.
In 2019, the ACS estimates that more than 202,000 new cancer cases will be diagnosed among black people in the US, and around 73,000 deaths will occur.
While cancer deaths have dropped for all Americans, the rates have fallen faster among black people than white people.
This is in large part due to the declines seen in three of the four most common cancers: lung, prostate and colon cancers.
Between 2006 and 2015, the cancer death rate fell 2.6 percent per year in black men compared to 1.6 percent per year in white men.
In women, the gap was smaller but still present, with the death rate falling 1.5 percent per year for black women compared to 1.3 percent per year for white women.
The report also found that lung cancer rates are 15 percent higher in black men than in white men - but 14 percent
