Race and Breast Cancer Mortality

Forbes reported that the March 2006 issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology (”JCO”), data review from 20 breakst cancer studies showed that minority women were “half as likely as white women to receive recommended post-surgical drug treatment for breast cancer” and this may potentially explain why African-American women are 19% more likely than Caucasian women to die from breast cancer.

Dr. Lisa Newman at the University of Michigan was lead author and stated that the genetic, sociocultural, and biologic factors and impact on breast cancer mortality in African-American women warrant further study. A separate study found that Hispanic women were more likely to be under-treated for breast cancer than Caucasian women.

Forbes also reported that breast cancer patients do better when they are cared for by both a primary care doctor and a cancer specialist (oncologist).