Many experts and resources say Black people are disproportionately affected by cancer, especially breast cancer. Very few, however, are shedding light on how that’s improved over the years and what can be done to alleviate concerns and issues surrounding treatment, services, and more.
To see how much the disparities have changed for Black patients with breast cancer and those at risk, the Black Information Network spoke with Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, the senior vice president of the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s Surveillance & Health Equity Science Department.
Dr. Jemal’s research includes cancer surveillance and health services with a focus on “disparities and social determinants of health and the effects of public health policies and programs on access to cancer care and outcomes in order to accelerate the application of known interventions broadly and equitably to all populations,” as noted in his biography on ACS’s website.
Dr. Jemals’ research has also been cited in the defense and discussion of public health policies and laws, including the Affordable Care Act. One of his most illuminating findings is that Black women had “slightly lower” breast cancer mortality than their white counterparts before 1980 when mastectomy was the mainstay of treatment.
“What happened in the 1980s was that mammography and adjuvant hormonal therapy disseminated widely, but unequally between Black and White women,” Dr. Jemal said to BIN. “This led to the emergence and widening of the racial disparity in breast cancer mortality.”
The esteemed researcher added that between 1990 and 2020, breast cancer mortality in Black women was 43 to 45% higher than in white women despite progress in reducing the rate in both demographics.
“The decline in reducing breast cancer mortality began later and was slower in Black women compared to white women,” he said. “Over the last 30 years, breast cancer mortality in Black…
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