American Indians and Alaska Natives: Resolving Disparate Cancer Outcomes

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) have been documented as a population with high rates of cancer mortality in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. During a time when other populations in the United States are experiencing improvements in cancer outcomes, cancer disparities in AIANs persist. The disparities in cancer outcomes in this diverse population can be attributed to a complex constellation of factors, which include access-to-care, economic, medical, and individual barriers, and mistrust and disenfranchisement.

AT A GLANCE

• AIANs are a diverse population, consisting of 573 culturally distinct tribes, nations, and pueblos. 
• For AIANs who seek cancer care, complex barriers to care can have institutional, economic, cultural, and social contexts.
• When providing cancer care to AIANs, the challenges of healthcare access within a context of social determinants and societal factors should be considered.