More research is proving the growing evidence that Black women face more disparities in breast cancer treatment.
A new study is finding the disparities and delays Black women face in early-stage breast cancer treatment.
The disparities faced by Black women seeking cancer treatment are present in other demographic categories outside of age, including cancer stage, insurance coverage, and neighborhood income levels. As a result, Black women have a 26 percent higher risk of death from all causes compared to white women.
“Non-Hispanic Black race was associated with increased odds of not receiving guideline-concordant care and less timely treatment initiation,” the study states.
“These findings suggest that optimizing timely access and receipt of guideline-concordant care in older adults may represent a modifiable pathway for mitigating racial differences in all-cause mortality among patients with early breast cancer,” researchers from the University of Pennsylvania wrote.
Research indicates that racial disparities persisted even though most Black patients had Medicare coverage, suggesting that insurance alone does not ensure equal access to care. In the study, approximately 79 percent of Black patients and 84 percent of white patients were covered by Medicare.
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Source: Black Enterprise
