September 24, 2025- A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that the overall five-year cancer survival rates for each stage of cancer (localized, regional, distant) were lower in non-metropolitan areas for Black and White individuals in the United States. The results also find that survival rates are lower for Black persons compared to White persons across various cancer types and in several stages and categories of urbanicity, especially for breast and colorectal cancers. Urbanicity was defined as the degree to which an area is considered urban or rural, ranging from highly populated metropolitan areas to rural settings. Lower cancer survival generally aligned with lower receipt of cancer treatment. The study is published in Cancer, an international, interdisciplinary journal of the American Cancer Society.