Amongst all types of cancers, breast cancer has the highest number of cases in the USA. It is also the second-highest in the list of deaths caused by cancer. Breast cancer also claims the highest number of cancer deaths amongst Black women.
In 1990, the rate of mortality amongst White women started declining significantly. The same could not be said about Black women. Consequently, data from 2015-2019 showed that Black women had a 40% higher mortality rate than their counterparts.
Breast Cancer Amongst Black Women
Although the incidence rate of breast cancer has decreased for Black women, the rate of mortality caused by it remains high, states the American Cancer Society. There are also multiple types of breast cancer and each has a different level of risk.
Initially, it was unknown whether this disparity is present in all types of breast cancers. Now, we can say yes for sure. A meta-analysis done by researchers tells us that Black women are more at risk of dying from all subtypes of tumor of breast cancer. If we compare the mortality rates of all with those amongst White women, the disparity varies from 17-50%.
In general, younger women are more prone to incidence of cancer. Young Black women are at double the risk of mortality as compared to young White women.
The numbers are simply staggering. There are, however, a few reasons that can explain these numbers.
Causes of the Disparity
Economic, geographic, social, and lifestyle factors can partly explain this disparity. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are all risk factors for breast cancer. Black women have higher chances of acquiring these conditions, making them more vulnerable to breast cancer. Additionally, fewer Black women breastfeed, which is another risk factor.
Compared to White women, Black women have access to lesser or lower quality healthcare facilities. TorHoerman Law mentions that Black women tend to receive improper care, miss regular checkups, and tend to get diagnosed at more aggressive stages of cancer. Uterine cancer is a particular concern in this context. This directly impacts the assessment, diagnosis, follow-ups, and actual treatment.
Furthermore, inclusion in treatment plans seems to be missing. All races and body types are being treated the same way, not taking into consideration the unique needs of each individual and community.
Undoubtedly, biology plays an important role in this equation. Aggressive subtypes of cancer such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) affect Black women much more than White women. When studying the link between race and clinical results, an investigation found that Black women had worse outcomes when compared to other races like Asian and Hispanic women.
Some studies have shown that tumors in Black women and others react differently to endocrine therapy. According to them, Black women become resistant to the therapy more frequently than others.
These disparities surely can’t be inescapable. Various associations and programs are working towards finding a solution to this problem.
Steps Towards Parity
Lifestyle changes related to body weight, alcohol, food, personal hygiene, and cosmetic products can make a big difference for Black women. While these factors may seem menial or unimportant, 30% of breast cancer cases are linked to them.
Cases like this hair straightener lawsuit bring to light the importance of using safe products in our day-to-day lives. According to this lawsuit, chemicals in hair relaxers and straighteners may be carcinogenic. These ingredients are linked to the risk of suffering from certain cancers such as breast cancer and uterine cancer.
It is important to note that Black women use products like chemical hair relaxers and straighteners at rates much higher as compared to White women. Black women also tend to start using these products at much earlier ages. This elevates the risk factor for them. More than 8000 people are already a part of this legal battle and more are joining.
Globally, all women are recommended to be screened for breast cancer regularly for early detection. Treatments are much more effective in the earlier stages of this disease. It has been observed that women with more resources such as education and higher income may be more efficiently equipped to find assistance for medical processes.
Cities with high-quality mammography facilities are effectively narrowing the mortality gap between Black women and White women.
Going forward, working on better representation of Black women in clinical trials is imperative. Foundations like the BCRF are marching towards this with multiple programs like the Breast Cancer Research Consortium and Southwest Oncology Group. This is a step towards establishing equity in the field of healthcare.
More research, inclusion of diverse groups, and an understanding of biology and sociology together, can bring foundational changes to how we understand and treat cancer.
