Study Explores Reasons Behind Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Mortality

A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania confirmed that Black women are less likely to get breast cancer but are more likely to die from the disease. And the research found that even when follow-up care was similar, the racial gap in breast cancer survival rates did not change.

The researchers examined the records of 7,375 older Black women and 7,375 older White women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 1991 and 2005. The data showed that Black women were diagnosed with breast cancer later than White women. They also found that other health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension that were more prevalent in Black cancer patients may have been a factor in the higher mortality rates.

The authors of the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that efforts must be made to encourage Black women to undergo breast cancer screenings so that the disease can be treated at earlier stages.