A new study of 1,733 Black women with breast cancer in New Jersey warns that what patients eat before diagnosis may help widen already stark survival gaps. Black women “have the highest mortality rate from breast cancer compared with other racial or ethnic groups in the U.S.,” said lead author Tengteng Wang, who set out to probe “what factors might contribute to these differences.” In this cohort, Black patients who ate the most ultra-processed foods before their cancer was detected were 36–40% more likely to die from breast cancer or any cause than those who ate the least.
Ultra-processed foods—industrial formulations like sodas, deli meats, sweets, salty snacks and pre-prepared fast foods—now account for roughly 40–60% of calories in the American diet. For women in the Rutgers-led Women’s Circle of Health Follow-Up Study, those at the highest consumption level averaged more than eight servings a day, compared with fewer than three servings among the lowest consumers. Researchers followed participants for a median of 9.3 years, finding that heavy ultra-processed intake translated into a 40% higher breast cancer mortality and a 36% higher risk of death from any cause.
Processed meats emerged as the “top worst contributor” among ultra-processed subgroups, leading Wang to suggest that if patients “can’t do everything, at least limit consumption of processed meat.” Co-lead investigator Elisa Bandera added that “going back to cooking traditional meals can potentially save money and is generally better for your health,” a message that carries particular weight for Black communities already facing unequal cancer outcomes.
See: “For Black women with breast cancer, ultra-processed foods may worsen health outcomes” (December 18, 2025)
