The United States is finally seeing a substantial drop in deaths due to cancer. In fact, from 1993 to 2001 the four most common cancers in the United States--lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancer--have had lower mortality rates. However, the reduction in deaths has not been equal across the population. More highly educated individuals had reductions in nearly all of the cancers, while less education individuals had reductions in only one of the cancers.

Why would the level of education impact mortality rates for certain types of illness? Individuals with higher levels of education will usually have higher paying jobs and therefore a higher socioeconomic status (SES). This would result in more availability of resources, including health insurance which would provide screening and regular health care. Those with higher educations, regardless of their field of study, are also more probably up-to-date on the latest symptoms of diseases, and the most current treatments.

Though the effect of SES on cancer mortality trends has been studied in the past, a new study lead by Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., PH.D, of the American Cancer Society, looked at death certificates with cancer cited as cause of death and studied the level of education of the individuals. The study was published in the Journal of the American Cancer Institute and related to non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks between the ages of 25 and 64. The individuals all died from the four major cancers. The data used was from the National Center for Health Statistics and was indicative of 86 percent of the U.S. population.

There was a significant decline in mortality for men, both white and black with college degrees. White and black women with college degrees had decreased cancer mortality in colorectal, breast, and lung cancers, though the decline of deaths from lung cancer did not reach significance in black women.

During the period of the study, 1993 to 2001, those with less than 12 years of education had a reduction of mortality only among white women with breast cancer. In the same period there was an increase in mortality from lung cancer among white women with less education, as there was for colon cancer among less educated black males.

The study clearly indicates that not everyone has benefited from advances in prevention and treatment of cancer, according to Dr. Jemal. To help the less educated achieve the same befits as those with higher educations Jemel believes that more emphasis needs to placed on prevention and access to care.

Dr. Alfred I. Neugut, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, was not surprised by the findings. People who are bright do manage to get better care he believes, they are better at taking advantage of what's learned by society in regard to health care. Neugut said that there are a variety of reasons people do not take advantage of what health care has to offer, that may not be affected by their SES, those include not knowing about new interventions, being afraid of them or doctors not offering them. According to Neugut "The bottom line is that those in the lower part of society don't get equal care, the disparities are not only because of lack of insurance. Even in Medicare, there are disparities based on socioeconomic status."

Source: healthnews.com