| > | | | | lack of proper health education have all been cited as |
| Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death | | | | possible socioeconomic contributing factors. |
| for women, ages 40-55, and African American | | | | Overall, over 16 million women nationwide lack health |
| women under the age of 45 are more likely to | | | | insurance coverage and African American women are |
| develop breast cancer than any other group of | | | | twice as likely to be uninsured as white women; over |
| women in the US. | | | | 30 percent of African American women live in |
| Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with | | | | poverty, and African American women are less likely |
| breast cancer; every 12 minutes a woman dies from | | | | to get mammograms. |
| breast cancer and every year over 5000 African | | | | Regardless of the socioeconomic factors that may |
| American women die from the disease. | | | | contribute to the high death rate for African |
| Although the cause of breast cancer is still unclear, | | | | American women, medical professionals agree that |
| researchers have determined that African American | | | | early detection is paramount to surviving breast |
| women tend to develop breast cancer at earlier ages | | | | cancer and they’ve issued a number of |
| than white women and they typically develop more | | | | recommendations to help African American women |
| aggressive types of tumors. | | | | detect the disease in its earliest stages and improve |
| Breast cancer often occurs in African American | | | | their chances of survival. |
| women under the age of 40 and as early as age 25. | | | | Medical professionals recommend that African |
| In a study of breast cancer tumors in African | | | | American women should: |
| American and white women, conducted by the Fred | | | | Practice monthly breast self-examinations (BSE) |
| Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2004, | | | | starting at age 20. |
| researchers determined that breast tumors in young | | | | Have a clinical breast examination, done by their |
| African American women were more likely to be | | | | physician, at least once a year. |
| fast-growing and more aggressive than those found | | | | Have at least one mammogram completed, |
| in white women. | | | | between the ages of 30 and 35. |
| "One of the important conclusions from this study is | | | | Have a mammogram completed every one to |
| that even when you correct for stage that is, | | | | two years until age of 50. |
| look at tumors of the same stage from white | | | | After 50, African American women should have |
| women and African American women tumors | | | | an annual mammogram. |
| from the African-American women tend to have | | | | Breast cancer is a common disease among women |
| features characteristic of more aggressive and rapidly | | | | of all races in America. This year, more than 200,000 |
| growing cancers," said Dr. Peggy Porter, lead author | | | | women will develop the disease and 40,000 of them |
| of the study. "If their tumors tend to grow more | | | | will die from it. Though African American women |
| quickly, this may help to explain why their cancers | | | | have less incidence of developing the disease, once |
| are being diagnosed at later stages, which can lead to | | | | diagnosed, their chances of survival are less than |
| poorer outcomes." | | | | their white sisters. |
| Other studies have indicated that there are other | | | | To increase their chances of surviving breast cancer, |
| possible reasons that African American women suffer | | | | African American women need understand the risk |
| high death rates from breast cancer: unemployment | | | | that breast cancer poses to them and get screened |
| or underemployment, lack of health insurance, and | | | | for the disease earlier and more often. |