The Communications Revolution and Health Inequalities in the 21st Century: Implications for Cancer Control

The radical and transformative developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) offer unprecedented opportunities to promote cancer control and enhance population and individual health. However, the current context in which these technologies are being deployed—where cancer incidence and mortality and communication are characterized by inequalities among different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status groups—raises important questions for cancer communication research, policy, and practice. Drawing on illustrative data, this essay characterizes the communications revolution and elucidates its implications for cancer control, with a particular focus on communication inequalities and cancer disparities.
 
The research “The Communications Revolution and Health Inequalities in the 21st Century: Implications for Cancer Control” was conducted by K. Viswanath, Rebekah N. Nagler, Cabral A. Bigman-Galimore, Michael P. McCauley, Minsoo Jung, and Shoba Ramanadhan. The article was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in October 2012. It is available at http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/21/10/1701/F3.expansion.html.