On October 19, World Breast Cancer Day is celebrated and, although it affects mostly women, it does not affect all of us in the same way. Race appears to be a determining factor in your risk of getting this cancer and your chances of surviving it. Next we analyze how a black woman is different from a white one, and what is the process that we must follow. Remember: touch yourself so that it does not touch you .
Why are black women more likely to die from breast cancer?
The historically lowest rate of black women developing breast cancer increased at a similar rate to that of white women in 2013, as death rates declined in both white and black women, according to an October 2016 report from the CDC. The agency attributes the improvements in part to better detection and early detection.
However, the death rate decreased less rapidly in black women, leading to a widening gap between black and white women in black cancer mortality. Black women were 41 percent more likely than white women to die from breast cancer .
There are many reasons why black women die with a higher rate of breast cancer than white or Hispanic women, experts say.
Triple negative cancer is more prevalent in black women
Most breast cancers have receptors that are sensitive to estrogen, progesterone, or HER2, making it easier to target them with therapies that can kill cancer cells. Because triple negative does not, it is more difficult to deal with the methods that are currently available.
Compared to many other types, triple negative grows rapidly, is more likely to have spread when diagnosed, and is more likely to return after treatment. Furthermore, the prospects for survival are more precarious.
Triple-negative cancer comprises 8 percent of all breast cancer cases, according to a July 2019 population study published in Cancer, but it is more likely to be diagnosed in women younger than 40. Black women are twice as likely as white women to have this type of cancer, and 73 percent more likely than Hispanic women.
Black women are more likely to have other health conditions
Black women are 50 percent more likely to have obesity, 60 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, and 70 percent more likely to have diabetes than white women.
And those comorbidities increase the chances that a black woman will die of breast cancer. The types of treatment, how you are able to tolerate those treatments, all of those things will be affected when you come in for treatment.
Black women are less able to take time off from work
Many black women are heads of households who worry that they cannot afford to take time off for cancer treatment. An analysis of 2017 Census Bureau data, conducted by the Center for American Progress, shows that 68 percent of black women are the breadwinners in their homes, compared to 37 percent of white women. .
What can black women do to increase their chances of survival?
Although the responsibility for closing the breast cancer mortality gap should not rest solely on the shoulders of black women, health care systems and policy makers have a role to play in ensuring they have better access to early detection. and quality care. there are important steps that black women can take for themselves.
Talk about breast cancer
Knowing your family history can save your life, and telling your family members about your breast health can save their life. The difficult thing about breast cancer is that many times we do not share it with members of our family, because it can seem like a private problem.
Be open, ask questions, and be sure to share everything you know with your doctors, including a family history of any type of cancer. Your doctor can help you assess your risk for breast cancer, when to start screening, and when to refer you to a specialist, if necessary.
Touch yourself and go for reviews
The increasing incidence rate of breast cancer in black women leads to better education and more screenings. In 1987, 23 percent of black women ages 50 to 74 reported having had a mammogram in the previous two years compared to 32 percent of their white counterparts, according to the National Cancer Institute. By 2018, 74 percent of black women and 73 percent of white women said the same thing.
Different organizations recommend starting regular mammograms at different ages. Younger women should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get screened.
Together, you and your doctor will evaluate your family history and other risk factors and determine an appropriate screening program for you. You should have this conversation before your 40s , and maybe sooner, according to the January 2018 recommendations in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
All women, especially black women and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, should be screened for breast cancer risk no later than age 30, so that those at the highest risk can be identified and can benefit from breast cancer screening. complementary screening.
Consider genetic counseling
If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, she is automatically sent for genetic testing because there is a greater chance of finding some kind of genetic predisposition.
Genetic mutations can be identified in 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers, according to the guidelines of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. If a known genetic mutation is found , it increases the chances of finding an effective treatment.
For women who do not have breast cancer but are at higher than normal risk, early detection of a gene mutation can help determine a course of action that can minimize the chance of developing the disease later.
