Why are more black women dying of breast cancer?
The phrase "better late than never" should not apply to the fact that until the early 1980s, women were not screened for breast cancer, according to a new article by Forbes. Since then, clinicians encouraging women to undergo mammograms has become mandatory, and advanced technological innovations have only improved breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Forbes contributor Rita Rubin explains that, in accordance with a 2013 JAMA study alongside the White House's continuing threat to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the lack of insurance is why black women are more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.
"Thanks to improvements in screening and treatment, the U.S. breast cancer death rate dropped 39 percent between 1989 to 2015, according to the American Cancer Society," Rubin said. "But the gap in the breast cancer death rate for white and black women widened during that time, and in 2015, the most recent year for which data are available, it was 42 percent higher in black women."
For more information, read the entire Forbes article here.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.