Cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment for adults with disabilities

About 15% of the global population—more than 1 billion people—have a disability. People with early-onset disability are now living into middle and older ages and are therefore at risk for adult cancer. Overall, disabled people are more disadvantaged in social determinants of health and are more likely to have risk factors associated with cancer than people without disabilities. People with disabilities often experience disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening compared with people who do not have disabilities, and patterns in colorectal cancer screening disparities are inconsistent. The minimal evidence that exists relating to the timeliness of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for people with disabilities suggests differential treatment and higher cancer-related mortality than for people without disabilities. Worldwide, disabled people face barriers to obtaining cancer care, including inaccessible medical diagnostic equipment, ineffective communication accommodations, and potentially biased attitudes among clinicians. Ensuring equitable cancer care for people with disabilities will therefore require eliminating not only physical but also attitude-based barriers to their care.