Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Philadelphia; in 2018, 7,763 residents were diagnosed with cancer and 2,947 died of their disease. For almost every major cancer, incidence and mortality rates for Philadelphians are higher than state or national rates. (Table 1).  Cancer burden is unequally distributed among neighborhoods in Philadelphia, with the highest burden seen in neighborhoods in North and West Philadelphia. Neighborhoods with a high cancer burden in Philadelphia are also neighborhoods with high concentration of poverty. (Figure 1)

Cancer risk factors, including obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, poor diet, and environmental exposures are disproportionately higher in Philadelphia as compared to national averages.   Like many urban cities, these rates are higher among racial and ethnic minorities, and vary across geographic neighborhoods. Neighborhoods in North and West Philadelphia, which have the highest rates of poverty and greatest cancer burden, also have the highest rates of cancer risk factors.  Social determinants of health are major contributors to cancer disparities; minority and ethnic populations are more likely to live in medically underserved areas, have low health literacy, and face additional barriers to accessing cancer care such as transportation, inability to take time off work, and lack of health insurance.