The Link Between Segregation and Lung Cancer

A new study published in JAMA Network Open reveals a strong link between residential segregation and lung cancer risk among Black adults—highlighting how structural racism in neighborhood conditions impacts health. Analyzing data from over 71,000 participants across Southern states, researchers found that reduced segregation was significantly associated with lower lung cancer risk for Black individuals, but not for white peers.

Nearly half of this association was explained by menthol cigarette use and air pollution exposure. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health strategies that both reduce segregation and target key environmental and behavioral risk factors to help close racial cancer disparities.