The pink-ribbon movement has raised billions of dollars for breast cancer research, leading to developments in screening and treatment that have saved countless American lives. Over the past 30 years, breast cancer-related deaths have declined by more than 40%, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But despite these gains, Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts.
When caught early, the prognosis for breast cancer is typically very good — but Black women are often diagnosed at a younger age, at a later stage, and with more aggressive tumors, explained Monique Gary, DO, FACS, a breast cancer oncologist and medical director of the cancer program at Grand View Health in Sellersville, PA, and Touch, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. “A lot more needs to be done to see why breast cancer affects Black women more severely.”
The U.S. Is Winning the Battle Against Breast Cancer, So Why Are Black Women Still Dying?
