An invisible population: Late-stage cancer diagnosis for people with intellectual or developmental disability

Abstract

In this issue of Cancer, Mahar and colleagues report stark findings that people with IDD experienced a 60% higher risk of stage IV female breast cancer, and a 42% higher risk of stage IV colorectal cancer, compared to those without IDD. With no comparable studies in the literature, the findings have international research, practical and clinical relevance highlighting health inequities in access to curative-intent cancer treatments for a population not well-identified, and often voiceless in health systems that are difficult to navigate.