Racial inequalities in the diagnosis and care of patients with lung cancer

The QJM has published seminal articles recently on racial disparities in the access to care, management and prognosis for patients with a variety of diseases.1–4 We continue highlighting this inequality in the provision of healthcare with the publication in this issue of work by Dr Yin et al. from the Peking Union Medical College, China where they have analysed the clinical care pathways and survival statistics on diverse racial and ethnic groups of 548 526 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over the period 2000–20 in the USA. It is well recognized historically in the USA that patients from racial and ethnic minorities face systemic inequalities in screening eligibility, access, and appropriate care at the appropriate time for their cancer treatment. In 2021 the guidelines of the US Preventative Services Task Force were implemented leading to an expansion of eligibility to care for patients. Has this really made an improvement to access and subsequent care to patients from diverse ethnic groups in the USA? This article by Dr Yin et al. contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting it has not.