A trend of higher lung cancer incidence rates in young Black people vs young White people in the United States has flipped, with the Black-White gap disappearing in men and reversing in women. The changing trends coincide with steeper declines in smoking among Black Americans, according to a new study published by Jemal et al in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.
Historically, lung cancer incidence rates have been higher in non-Hispanic Black people than non-Hispanic White people among men of all ages and among younger women, likely reflecting historically higher smoking rates in Black adults.
New Analysis
For the new study, investigators from the American Cancer Society examined smoking prevalence data and national lung cancer incidence rates for Black and White people by sex among contemporary young birth cohorts to investigate whether incidence patterns are consistent with race- and sex-specific smoking patterns.
They found incidence decreased in both Black and White men born since about 1947 and in women born since abut 1957, with the declines being steeper in Black people than in White people. Those steeper declines led to the Black-White gap disappearing in men born in 1967 to 1972 and reversing in women born since about 1967. Similarly, historically higher smoking rates in Black people vs White people disappeared in men and reversed in women born since about 1965.
There was one notable exception: the authors identified increasing lung cancer incidence rates in Black men born around 1977–1982, which indeed led to higher lung cancer incidence rates in Black men than White men born during this period.
“This increase likely reflects the steep rise in initiation of smoking among Black adolescents in 1990s, which coincided with the R.J. Reynold’s tobacco advertisement campaign targeting African Americans,” wrote the study authors. “Between 1991 and 1997, the prevalence of … cigarette use among Black high school students doubled from 14.1% to 28.2%.”
Public Health Implications
The authors say that their findings have significant public health implications. “Our study reflects the success of national, state, and local antitobacco public health policies and activities in the Black community, despite the tobacco companies’ targeted and deceptive marketing strategies,” said Dr. Jemal. “At the same time, the increase in lung cancer incidence among Black men born around 1982 reflects the lack of strong public health policies to prevent the rise in smoking initiation in 1990s.”
“While these patterns herald progress in reducing racial disparities in lung cancer occurrence and the success of tobacco control in the Black community, the increasing lung cancer incidence rates in Black men born circa 1977–1982 is concerning and underscores the need for targeted tobacco prevention interventions,” the authors concluded.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit academic.oup.com.
