For years, cancer research has struggled with the persistent “survival gap.” Even as treatments improve, Black women still face a much higher risk. In fact, Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Many people blame this on a lack of early screening, but research from Mount Sinai shows the issue is more complicated. It is not just about when cancer is found. The way the disease acts and the barriers patients face also play a big role. Faster cancer spread and the stress of social and economic challenges both matter. Understanding these issues is the first step to closing the gap.
Researchers worldwide are studying why Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.
In the past, experts have discovered that breast cancer tends to be diagnosed later in Black women due to less access to healthcare services.
However, researchers also noted that breast cancer seems to metastasize more quickly in Black women.
Some experts say socioeconomic factors should also be considered.
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Sometimes, Black women are so busy taking care of everybody else that they don’t take care of themselves. Then, when they get to a doctor, not only do they learn they have breast cancer, but there’s a spot on their skin, spine, or brain.
Many Black women with cancer are from low-income households in communities without much access to healthcare.
A study looked at why breast cancer is often far deadlier for Black women than white women.
Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City began their study by looking at data about racial disparities in breast cancer. More white women get breast cancer, but Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from it.
Some scientists attribute those stats to Black women getting a diagnosis at a later stage in the disease, but the team of Mount Sinai researchers said there might be more than one explanation for the disparity.
The Mount Sinai study was released at the yearly meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The researchers found that Black women have a much higher risk of having their cancer spread or metastasize. Metastasis is a leading cause of death in breast cancer patients.
The Black women in the Mount Sinai study were nearly six times more likely to develop distant tumors than white women.
The researchers studied 441 women diagnosed with breast cancer at Mount Sinai. They reported that of the participants who developed metastases, nearly seven percent were Black women compared with just over one percent of white women.
The researchers and internal medicine experts at Mount Sinai were surprised by the significance of the disparity. The researchers found that this disparity existed despite accounting for late-stage diagnosis.
This disparity has been studied for many decades. Despite the best efforts from healthcare experts, it still exists. Research has suggested that there are other ways to tackle the problem.
RELATED: Breast Cancer Survival Rate: 4 Early Signs That Cancer Is Spreading
The study adjusted for age, race, and cancer stage, but not for socioeconomic factors. Black women’s access to care, insurance, and ability to make appointments all play into breast cancer outcomes.
These factors are essential because poverty is a significant cause of poor outcomes with cancer. If Black women have disproportionately lower access to these resources, that will contribute, but the data did not show it.
There are also biological factors that were not included in the study. The study did not include the type of breast cancer. African American women in the United States have a disproportionate amount of triple-negative breast cancer and have much worse outcomes.
The lack of discernment in the type of breast cancer and the lack of socioeconomic data hamper drawing a lot of conclusions from the research.
The Mount Sinai study should prompt more research into healthcare disparities in cancer treatments and access to healthcare for Black women. The study opens the door for a lot of future research, the most important of which is finding the source of the existing disparity in cancer deaths among Black women.
The Mount Sinai study shows how closely clinical data and real-life experiences are connected. Since Black women are six times more likely to face metastasis, we need to move beyond just raising awareness and push for strong advocacy and real changes in the system.
While researchers study the biological and social factors behind this gap, patients and communities can take steps now to gain greater control over their health.
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