Temporal Trends in Mortality from Major Cancers by Education in the United States, 2001-2016

Abstract

Abstract Data on recent trends in mortality from major cancers by individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) are lacking in the US. We examined mortality trends and disparities by educational attainment (rate ratio ≤12 vs. ≥16 years of education) from 2001-2016 for lung, colorectal, female breast, and prostate cancers among persons aged 25-74 years. During 2001-2016, death rates continued to decrease in each stratum of sex/education categories for all four cancers, with the steepest decline among those with ≥16 years of education. Consequently, relative educational disparities widened over time. Among men for example, lung cancer death rates from 2001-2016 decreased 2.70% per year in persons with ≤12 years of education compared to 5.44% per year among those with ≥16 years of education, and the rate ratio increased from 2.96 (95%CI, 2.84-3.09) to 4.58 (95%CI, 4.41-4.76). Enhanced interventions targeting low SES populations are needed to reduce the inequality and accelerate progress against cancer.