Researchers have said that cancer death rates for African-Americans far exceed non-Hispanic Caucasians in the United States.

Tobacco use and related cancers have decreased the mortality gap, but not significantly, said Dr. Edward Partridge, president-elect of the American Cancer Society and director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dr. Mona Fouad, also of University of Alabama at Birmingham.

It was written in a commentary by Partridge and Fouad in the Journal of the American Medical Association that there are many contributing factors to cancer-death disparities, including limited access to care, prevalence of prevention and detection programs, differences in healthy behaviors that decrease cancer risk and other factors.

The researchers also said that advances in oncology practice and medical technology also widen the disparity gap because not everyone benefits from those advances equally.

Partridge and Fouad further wrote, "Elimination of the screening gap between African-American and white patients for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer is perhaps the easiest way."

A University of Alabama at Birmingham project that increased screenings that basically eliminated the disparities for Medicare mammography rates in select Alabama and Mississippi counties, is highlighted by the commentary. (With Inputs from Agencies)