The Nation - News from April 3, 1989

A worse survival rate among cancer patients is another burden borne by the poor in America, the American Cancer Society’s annual science writers’ seminar was told in Irvine. “The gap in cancer survival between the poor and more affluent must be bridged; it is a challenge for immediate concern and action,” ACS President Dr. Harold P. Freeman said. About 35% to 40% of poor Americans with cancer survive five years after diagnosis, compared to an average of 50% for the entire population, said Freeman, noting that use of alcohol and tobacco as well as inadequate nutrition may increase the risk. “Poor people focus their concerns on issues of day-to-day survival, not on prevention of disease or even its early detection,” he added.