Despite advances in knowledge concerning risk factor reduction and improvements in early detection and treatment for several cancers, socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence, morbidity, mortality and survival persist, and in some instances, such inequalities (including those for screenable cancers) may even be widening. A full understanding of the extent and causes of such social inequalities is crucial to the development and implementation of a comprehensive and effective national strategy for cancer control and prevention.Individual-level data on socioeconomic variables are limited in the SEER database. The sociodemographic characteristics for which data are available include age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and place of birth and residence. Data on educational attainment, occupation, and income, the key indicators of the individual socioeconomic position, are not collected in the SEER data set. Moreover, data on current health status, comorbidity, as well as health-risk behaviors such as smoking for individuals are also absent. Consequently, socioeconomic analyses of cancer incidence, mortality, and survival generally rely on aggregate ecological data.
