Are people with disability more likely to die from cancer?

A new study from the University of Melbourne has found that people with disability are more likely to die from cancer than people without disability.

The research involved a comprehensive review of 73 other studies from around the world that compared the different outcomes for people with cancer. The biggest takeaway was that, globally, people with disability were less likely to get screened at an early stage and more likely to have their cancer advance and lead to a greater risk of fatality.

Researchers speculated that this could be because of delayed diagnosis and inaccessible treatment, with further research needed to be sure.

Yi Yang, a social epidemiologist and one of the study’s authors, had noted this problem in Australia during a previous study published in 2024.

Those findings revealed that men with disability are dying at almost four times the rate of men without disability. Meanwhile, women with disability are dying at almost five times the rate of their peers without disability.

That study found that cancer is a leading cause of earlier deaths among Australians with disability, accounting for approximately 20 percent of the increased mortality rate in people with disability compared to those without.

Part of the challenge in Australia, which researchers believe may contribute to the lack of cancer screening, could be wealth inequality.

In 2021, 33 percent of people with disability aged 15 – 64 were not satisfied with their financial situation, compared with 14 percent without disability, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The same survey found that 25 percent of people with disability aged 15 – 64 would not have been able to raise $3,000 in a week for an emergency, compared with 9.4 percent without disability.

Disability Support Guide published an article on another contributing factor to cancer in Australia that may put people with disability at risk — smoking.

Researchers have also pointed to accessibility as an issue and their treatment in healthcare settings.

In 2018, 24 percent of people aged 15 – 64 with disability waited longer than they felt acceptable to get an appointment with a GP.

The AIHW found that individuals aged 5 to 64 who have severe or profound disabilities and require assistance with healthcare are more likely to receive only informal support compared to those with other types of disabilities. Additionally, they are less likely to receive only formal assistance.

In an article published on The Conversation, authors expressed the need for improved communication and education.

What can we do about it?

For cancer control to be inclusive and work for people with disability, we need to look at:

• prevention — public health interventions, such as quit smoking or healthy lifestyle programs, need to be co-designed with and tailored to people with disability;
• early detection — national screening programs must develop strategies and take active steps to include people with disability. Clinics need to be physically accessible, information needs to be available in a range of accessible formats and extra time needs to be allocated to get genuine informed consent;
• ensuring people with disability have a voice — cancer care needs to be tailored to an individual person, as everyone’s needs are different. We need to support and include people with disability in conversations about their care so they can make informed decisions. This means providing information in ways that work for them and allowing time to understand and ask questions;
• training health professionals to understand and respond to the needs of people with disability and make the adjustments required for optimal cancer care, particularly for people with an intellectual disability.

What do you think about the shocking findings and what do you believe we can do to improve cancer awareness among the disability community? Let the team at Talking Disability know and subscribe to the newsletter for more information, news and industry updates.