Rates of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses have risen for American women across the board, with Black women facing the most severe impact. A study published in the journal Radiology found that advanced-stage cases have increased over the past 20 years, particularly among younger women and Black women. The research tracked breast cancer diagnoses across early, regional, and distant stages. Their findings showed troubling increases in late-stage diagnoses, especially among certain age groups and communities.
The sharpest rise in late-stage diagnoses was seen in women over 75 and those aged 20 to 39. Black women were 55% more likely than White women to receive an advanced-stage diagnosis and remain more likely to die from the disease.
“Black women tend to have more aggressive breast cancers, including a higher rate of triple-negative breast cancers,” said Edward Hendrick, Ph.D., clinical professor of radiology at the University of Colorado and the study’s lead researcher. These findings suggest that a combination of biological factors and barriers to timely screening and treatment may contribute to the rising rates of advanced-stage diagnoses, particularly among Black women.
The pandemic likely exacerbated the trend, as many women delayed or missed mammograms. “Volumes at screening sites for the year 2020 were down as much as 90% from 2019 levels,” Hendrick stated. “These missed screenings contributed to higher rates of advanced breast cancers in 2021 and likely subsequent years.”
While the pandemic created new barriers to care, it also highlighted longstanding gaps in healthcare access and follow-up care, which disproportionately affect Black women and could play a role in the increased rates of advanced cancer. The findings add to growing evidence that a combination of biological, societal, and systemic factors drives disparities in breast cancer outcomes.
SOURCES
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/late-stage-breast-cancer-rising-black-women/story?id=116641271
https://www.bet.com/article/2yav6v/new-study-black-women-rise-late-stage-breast-cancer