Intellectual and developmental disabilities—an under-recognised driver of cancer mortality

Greater attention on the disparities in cancer care for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) is long overdue. A study published in February, 2024, has shown that individuals with IDD are more likely to die from breast, lung, and colorectal cancer than the general population. Although it is known that individuals with IDD have higher overall mortality rates than the general population, the cancer survival findings are stark. After adjusting for confounders, people living with IDD were 2·28 times more likely to die of breast cancer, 2·57 times more likely to die of colorectal cancer, and 1·38 times more likely to die of lung cancer during the study period (2009–17) than those without IDD.