Socioeconomic and cultural influences on cancer care of women.

Disparity exists between the scientific advances made for Euro-American women and for female African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Studies have documented the complex relation among biological, behavioral, and social factors that affect cancer incidence, treatment, and both psychological and physical outcomes. The four major variables of physiologic and biochemical differences, socioeconomic factors, structural barriers, and cultural factors contribute to the discrepancy in cancer morbidity and mortality in ethnic populations compared to the white population.