Grappling with Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer

Declining breast cancer incidence and improved outcomes in the U.S. and other developed countries represent progress that, hopefully, will continue. Nonetheless, a recent CDC report indicates that these favorable outcomes do not reach all black women. Breast cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and mortality were calculated using U.S. Cancer Statistics data for black women and white women from 2005 through 2009. Mortality ratios and mortality-to-incidence ratios (an indication of prognosis after diagnosis) were calculated by race.

Despite having lower incidence, black women had 41% higher breast cancer mortality than white women. Fewer black women were diagnosed with localized disease — and for every 100 breast cancers diagnosed, black wome…