The Podcast by KevinMD Racial disparities in pancreatic cancer screening cost Black lives
Jan 27, 2026
Errol (Earl) Stewart Jr., an internal medicine physician and medical director of health equity, shares why pancreatic cancer disproportionately harms Black Americans. He recounts patterns he noticed, critiques current screening guidance, and outlines practical screening approaches and advocacy steps. Short, urgent, and focused on race-specific prevention and policy change.
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Personal Motive Behind The Article
- Errol Stewart tracked a pattern of prominent Black figures dying from pancreatic cancer, which motivated his article.
- He also lost an uncle to pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, making the issue personal and urgent.
Marked Mortality Gap By Race
- African Americans face 50–90% higher pancreatic cancer mortality than whites, despite similar incidence.
- Pancreatic cancer has a very low five-year survival because it’s usually diagnosed after metastasis.
Risk Factors That May Drive Disparity
- Known risk factors include BRCA mutations, Lynch syndrome, smoking, new-onset type 2 diabetes after 50, chronic pancreatitis, and high BMI.
- These factors may partly explain higher pancreatic cancer rates in African Americans but full causes remain uncertain.