With the death of actor Andre Braugher, there is a new emphasis on the pervasiveness of lung cancer among Black men and why they are more likely than other groups to die from the disease. The “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star passed away recently, just months after his diagnosis, according to a statement from his publicist.
According to the American Lung Association, one in 16 Black men will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. But while research has shown that a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily have to be a death sentence, Black men still have the highest death rate of lung cancer in the country — a grim stat partially due to the fact that they’re often diagnosed at later stages than others. Only 12 percent of Black men receive their diagnosis at an early stage, compared to 16 percent of white men and 20 percent of white women.
