Why Black Women Remain More Expected to Die of Breast Cancer

Completed the last 20 years, there has been a major problem in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care: While inclusive mortality rates have improved by more than 30%, the bad news is that black women are still more likely to die from the disease than white women—and the disparity is mounting in some cities more than others.

My generations at the Sinai Urban Health Institute and I have consumed the last decade studying this trend, and have continued to sound the alarm with each report. Our newest study, printed in Cancer Epidemiology, analyzed breast cancer mortality rates by race for the 50 most packed U.S. cities between 2010 and 2014, and built on our prior city-level examination from 1990-2009. 

In 1990, black women were 17% more likely to die than bleached women; and 9 cities displayed statistically significant differences in humanity amounts for black women and white women. By 2000, the disparity had risen to 35%; and 19 cities displayed statistically significant differences. Among 2010 and 2014, black women were 43% more likely to die than white women; and 24 towns displayed statistically significant differences. Seventeen more cities showed the same disheartening development.

The graph lower reveals the widening disparity in mortality rates across the country. To see graphs of the mortality rates in different cities, check out the Breast Cancer Investigation Foundation's interactive map.

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When we intensive on what occurred between the previous homework period (2005-2009) and the most current study period (2010-2014), we discovered an alarming rise of the disparity in Atlanta and San Antonio, and across the country as a whole. In Boston, the breast cancer death rates for blacks and whites became even; while in Philadelphia and Memphis, the disparity fell, but continued significant.

Cultural disparities in breast cancer mortality are now acknowledged at the national and state level. This study makes an essential contribution by providing data at the city level, demonstrating geographic difference in the disparity, and changes in the disparity over a 25-year time period. 

Together, these data suggest that alterations in access to public health systems, and hence, differences in admission to—and quality of—mammography and treatment are likely contributing to the difficult. Earlier studies showed low median household incomes and a measure of separation correlated with the disparity. Some cities, including New York and Memphis, have done improved than others at addressing the disparity.

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Access to attention is not the only factor that may be involved. It has been well documented that the biology of the tumor can play a role in both incidence and outcome of breast cancer. For sample, black women in the U.S. have been shown to be diagnosed with breast cancer at previous ages, and a higher percentage is diagnosed through an aggressive form of the disease called triple-negative breast cancer. However, biology alone cannot explicate the rapid growth of the disparity in 10 years, and the geographic difference.

We conducted these studies to spur local city officials and health departments to take notice and take achievement, to address the needs of their communities. Past intelligences resulted in city-wide efforts to address the disparity in Chicago, Memphis, Boston, Houston, and Washington, DC.

Notably, Chicago, Memphis, and Boston have displayed either a reduction in the disparity or an improvement in mortality rates among black females.

The good news is that fewer women of any race are being diagnosed and dying of breast cancer for a number of details—mostly likely due to a drop in the use of hormone therapy and better treatments. However, our findings underscore that anywhere a patient may live should not determine if she lives, no matter her race.

This research was backed by the Avon Substance for Women and a grant to my co-author Bijou Hunt, an epidemiologist at the Sinai Urban Health Institution.