According to new data from the Susan G. Komen® Center for Applied Research, disparities in breast cancer mortality among Black women in the U.S. as compared to white women has decreased in six of the 10 cities where these disparities are the greatest. However, these changes are not always a clear sign of significant progress.
For example, in St. Louis, MO, the disparity between Black and white women in breast cancer mortality has decreased nearly 40% since 2014. However, while the disparity gap has closed, deaths from breast cancer are still unacceptably high. Unfortunately, disparities have widened in other communities like Houston, TX, where the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer has decreased by only about 3% from 2014 to 2020, as compared to a reduction of more than 5% in white women.
This data is the result of ongoing research conducted by Komen in partnership with the Fund II Foundation, which highlights the disparities in breast cancer outcomes between Black and white women in the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas where the inequities are the greatest.
Today, Black women continue to face many unique challenges that white women often do not, driven by a combination of factors like barriers to early diagnosis, the prevalence of more aggressive disease types like triple negative breast cancer, systemic racism, discrimination and lack of high-quality care. Black women also face barriers to genetic counseling and testing, including lack of access to programs, economical constraints, racial bias in the healthcare system and mistrust of the medical community. For this reason, Black women do not participate in genetic counseling and testing at the same rate as white women.
At Susan G. Komen, we believe health equity means that every person should have a just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. In short, your race and where you live should not determine if you live.
Identifying the Root Causes
With support from Fund II, Komen published a multiyear study focusing on the root causes of the disparities among Black women in the 10 metropolitan areas with the worst breast cancer inequities including Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Philadelphia, PA; St. Louis, MO; Virginia Beach/Tidewater, VA and Washington, D.C.
The resulting analysis, called “Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: A Roadmap for Saving the Lives of Black Women in America,” confirmed that Black women in these 10 metro areas face multiple challenges, including barriers to early diagnosis, lack of quality care, discrimination and systemic racism. Among other complex issues, they also reported dismissive treatment from health care providers, delays in treatment, and medical mistrust stemming from historical and racial biases.
Bridging the Disparities Gap
To address these breast health disparities, Komen is leveraging five key health equity drivers to create change through the Stand for H.E.R. program, which include education, patient support, workforce development, public policy and advocacy, and research. These interventions have laid the foundation to conquer breast cancer disparities in the Black community, but the truth lies in the data.
With support from Fund II and through Stand for H.E.R., Komen’s breast health education programs have reached over 240 million individuals, to date. We have provided trusted and evidence-based breast health information to the Black community through a variety of communication tools, including award-winning digital content, mass media, education workshops and culturally relevant information.
Through our Worship in Pink program, Komen has provided educational messaging through faith-based organizations, including those with predominantly Black congregations, with the goal of improving health outcomes by increasing the use of mammography, disease awareness, screening behaviors, risk reduction and identifying signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Worship in Pink also provides the Black community with opportunities to learn about genetic counseling and testing, including a recent event in Houston, TX that hosted over 200 attendees, in partnership with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Also, through the Patient Care Center (PCC), Komen supports Black women with individualized care from our culturally responsive patient navigators. With support from the PCC, members of the Black community are overcoming barriers to critical breast health services, including screening services, diagnostic tests, treatment and psychosocial support. We are also training a culturally rich and diverse team of patient navigators through our Navigation Nation Training Program.
These are just a few examples of strategic interventions helping close the disparities gap in the Black community. Still, we know it will require even more partnership and collaboration to break down existing barriers and drive systemic change.
Building a New Path Forward
While overall breast cancer mortality in the U.S. has declined due to advancements in early detection and treatment, current data shows Black women are still about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. More coordinated efforts are needed to address the unique needs of the Black community. Komen remains committed to helping create a world without inequities, where Black people have the same chance of surviving breast cancer as anyone else.
Learn more about how Komen is building a new path toward health equity with programs like Worship in Pink, which empowers Black women with the vital knowledge, resources and community support to help them take an active role in their breast health. You can also get more information about our Patient Care Center and the vital resources we offer the Black community, including breast health education, patient navigation, patient navigator training, financial assistance, and genetic counseling and testing.
To learn more about our progress through the stories of people impacted by our work through Stand for H.E.R., you can read the full “2023 Stand for H.E.R. Breast Cancer Impact Report” here.
Join us for the free, virtual 2025 Health Equity Revolution Summit on March 6, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. CT, where we will provide education, share solution-driven Komen resources and empower breast health to advance health equity!
