Temporal trends in mortality from major cancers by education in the United States, 2001-2016

Abstract

16 years of education) from 2001 to 2016 for lung, colorectal, female breast, and prostate cancers among individuals ages 25-74 years. During 2001-2016, death rates continued to decrease in each stratum of sex and education categories for all four cancers, with the steepest decline among those with at least 16 years of education. Consequently, relative educational disparities widened over time. Among men, for example, lung cancer death rates from 2001 to 2016 decreased 2.70% per year in persons with 12 years or less of education compared with 5.44% per year among those with at least 16 years of education, and the rate ratio increased from 2.96 (95% CI = 2.84 to 3.09) to 4.58 (95% CI = 4.41 to 4.76). Enhanced interventions targeting low-socioeconomic status populations are needed to reduce the inequality and accelerate progress against cancer.