Although esophageal cancer mortality is high in China, evidence suggests that mortality varies considerably by region. Using nationwide survey and cancer registry data from 782 counties in China, Ran and colleagues examined how geographic disparities in esophageal cancer mortality changed over time and investigated possible associations with socioeconomic status. Between 1973–1975 and 2015–2017, 577 (74%) counties experienced decreasing esophageal cancer mortality. Intercounty differences in mortality substantially narrowed, but geographic clusters of elevated rates persisted. Notably, elevated mortality rates were observed in counties with low socioeconomic status. These findings highlight the importance of continued efforts to address geographic and socioeconomic inequalities.

Inequalities in high-quality breast cancer treatment are well established, however, the diagnostic procedures and clinical workups necessary to determine the optimal course of cancer-directed treatment are rarely considered. Herbach and colleagues provide a detailed depiction of disparities along the breast cancer continuum of care using SEER-Medicare data to examine racial–ethnic...

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