Briefings: health and cancer inequalities

*Research has shown that the following communities and groups experience inequalities in cancer:

  • Those from lower socioeconomic groups
  • Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities
  • Those with mental illness
  • Those with learning disabilities
  • Those with disabilities
  • Rural communities
  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities
  • Older or younger people
  • Men or women
  • Those from certain religions or with particular religious beliefs

Inequalities in cancer can relate to different areas such as genetics, information and awareness, lifestyle, screening and treatment. These factors, either individually or through interaction with each other, contribute to the different cancer incidence and outcomes experienced by the communities and groups which make up the UK population.

Our inequalities goals

In 2007 Cancer Research UK launched ten  goals to measure our success in beating cancer up to 2020. A number of these goals will have an impact upon cancer inequalities with one specifically addressing the issue:

We will especially tackle cancer in low-income communities.

The differences in the risk of dying from cancer between the most affluent and the least affluent will be reduced by half.

Our inequalities policy work

Cancer Research UK regularly contributes to health and cancer inequalities consultations. You can see which consultations we have responded to recently on our consultations page.

We have also published two reports in this policy area. The first introduces evidence of current inequalities in cancer, while the second discusses the key themes within government policy aimed at reducing health and cancer inequalities.

Copies of these reports are available for download.

We have also produced a list of policy statements introducing the cancer inequalities experienced by different harder to reach groups and communities and discusses the next steps required to reduce such inequalities.

To download our policy statements follow the links below.

Forthcoming cancer inequalities policy statements include inequalities in cancer experienced by those with disabilities.

Our health information

As well as undertaking policy work about inequalities in cancer we also provide health information for diverse communities. For example our  Open up to Mouth Cancer pilots were aimed at those living in  Tower Hamlets from the Bangladeshi community and those who were heavy drinkers and smokers in  Gateshead.

Our research

We also regularly fund researchers working in the field of health and cancer inequalities. Previous work has included a project by the Warwick Medical School looking at the recording of ethnicity within cancer services.

For further information about our cancer inequalities policy work please call us on 020 7061 8360 or email: publicaffairs@cancer.org.uk

 

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