Disparities Along the Cancer Care Continuum

Gastrointestinal malignancies collectively account for a majority of the annual cancer diagnoses and deaths. Patients from lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, rural communities, and racial and ethnic minorities have a disproportionately higher mortality rate than their counterparts. Social drivers of health—which include socioeconomic, biologic, psychosocial, clinical, environmental, behavioral, and cultural factors— play an integral role in creating these disparities. Social drivers of health affect every stage of cancer care, ranging from primary prevention, diagnosis, and end-of-life. This review focuses on the impact of social drivers of health in gastrointestinal malignancies outcomes across the cancer care continuum.