Breast cancer is a thorn to every woman in the world. Worsening the matter, this thorn is now more fatal among black women.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, black women have a mortality rate of 44% and only 20% for white women. This study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Sinai Urban Health Institute in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The data they examined comes from the 50 of the biggest US cities from 2005 to 2014.
It is alarming that the research shows that the data in 42 out of 43 cities leads to the same conclusion: black women with breast cancer have higher death rates than white women with Atlanta having the highest.
The Reason Behind the Disparity
There are a lot of factors in play that contributes to the higher death rate among African-American women. According to Dr. Sheryl Gabram, Director of the AVON Comprehensive Breast Center, women are often diagnosed with breast cancer during the late stages. The longer the patient is diagnosed, the lesser the chance of getting a successful treatment.
She thinks that patients often refrain from a medical consultation is due to anxiety. "I think there is a lot fear, still, of being diagnosed with breast cancer, and can it be treated," Dr. Gabram said.
Another factor is the persistent uncertainty of when should women get examined for breast cancer. Health professionals often recommend doing a baseline mammogram at 50. However, Dr. Gabram strongly recommends it earlier at age 40.
Is There an Ongoing Solution?
As of the moment, the only solution is proper information and education. According to MedScape, even if cancer does not run in the family, one should get checked immediately when women can spot the first signs of breast cancer which is the formation of lumps.
Marc S. Hurlbert, Ph.D., of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in New York, believes that this can be solved if all medical institutions would work together. "It has to involve all the hospitals, imaging facilities, and private practices across a city to make a difference," Marc said.
