More cancer cases in areas where incarceration rates are high: Study

Counties and states where jails and prisons are packed are more likely to have higher rates of cancer, new research shows.

“These results aren’t surprising. Incarceration in the U.S. is recognized as a key element of social determinants of health and is linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes,” said study lead author Dr. Jingxuan Zhao, She’s a senior scientist for health services research at the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The study can’t prove that being in prison raises a person’s odds for cancer, but the two conditions might be linked in many ways, Zhao’s team believes.

The team published its findings Sept. 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to Zhao, he and his team wanted “to better understand the associations of incarceration and cancer mortality at the community level.”

To do so, they looked at national data on incarceration rates for 1995 through 2018, broken down for all states and counties. They rated those on four levels, from lowest to highest.

Compared to counties that ranked in the lowest quartile of incarcerations, those in the highest fourth had a cancer death rate that was 3.9% higher, on average, the team found. Local cancer death rates rose along with the rate of people kept in prisons and jails.

Similar results were observed at the state level: States ranking highest for incarcerations also had a 3.9% higher cancer death rate, compared to states in the lowest quartile.

Differences were largest when it came to lung and liver cancers, the team added.

These associations didn’t vary by race or gender, Zhao’s group added.

“Our findings from this study suggest that programs to address adverse health effects of mass incarceration are warranted, particularly for populations that suffer from inequities in cancer care and outcomes and are disproportionately incarcerated in the U.S.,” Zhao said in an ACS news release.

Why might deadly cancers be more likely in an area with a high prison population?

“Populations in areas with high incarceration rates may have limited access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment,” Zhao theorized.

Insurance could also be an issue, according to Lisa Lacasse, president of the ACS’ Cancer Action Network.

“Having comprehensive health insurance is a critical factor for survivorship against cancer,” she said. “Medicaid is an important source of health insurance for people who would not otherwise have access to care, including those who are transitioning back to their communities following incarceration. We urge lawmakers in the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid to do so to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of cancer.”

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