A study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that
while white women have a higher incidence of breast cancer,
Black women have a 41 percent higher mortality rate—perhaps
because more Black women are diagnosed with regional- or
distant-stage cancer (45 percent versus 35 percent). Out of
every 100 breast-cancer diagnoses, Black women have nine more
deaths (27 versus 18). The report, Vital Signs: Racial
Disparities in Breast Cancer Severity, finds that the issue goes
beyond genetics: Equity in healthcare access and the quality of
that care are major contributors to breast-cancer prognoses.
“Breast-cancer death rates have been declining among U.S. women
since 1990 because of early detection and advances in treatment;
however, all racial groups have not benefited equally,” reads
the report. “Black women experience inequities in breast-cancer
screening, follow-up, and treatment after diagnosis, leading to
greater mortality.” - Only 62 percent of Black women start
treatment within 30 days, compared with