A new study reveals that Black women face a significantly higher risk of dying from breast cancer compared to white women, regardless of the tumor subtype. Researchers from Mass General Brigham conducted a meta-analysis of 18 studies, examining data from 228,885 breast cancer cases, including 34,262 cases in Black women.
The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, show that Black women’s risk of death varies from 17% to 50% higher depending on the type of breast cancer. This disparity is particularly pronounced in hormone-positive tumors, which are typically more treatable, where Black women face a 34-50% higher risk of death.
Dr. Erica Warner, a cancer epidemiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author of the study, emphasized that multiple factors contribute to these disparities. “Black women who develop breast cancer are around 40% more likely to die of the disease than white women,” she stated. Warner highlighted that socioeconomic inequality, delays in diagnosis, and limited access to quality cancer treatment likely play significant roles in these mortality differences.
The researchers stress that these disparities are not inevitable and point to existing multilevel intervention programs that have successfully reduced gaps in cancer survival rates. Dr. Paulette Chandler, co-author and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, called for action from healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities to address these inequities.
The study’s findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions at multiple levels to improve outcomes for Black women with breast cancer. Initiatives like ACCURE, Equal Hope, and Boston’s virtual Equity Hub for Cancer Treatment are working to close the survival gap and improve cancer care for underserved patients.
See “Black Women Face Higher Risk of Death from All Breast Cancer Types” (September 19, 2024)
