Research and Development News

Higher Number of Breast Cancer Incidents Among Black Women

By: Marcelina Hardy | Friday 19 February 2010 22:32 PDT

Between 1992 and 2004, breast cancer diagnosis in black women was 30 to 90 percent higher compared to white women. These rates continue to rise for black women but decrease for white women. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center recently published these findings in Springer's Hormone and Cancer journal.

Factors Contributing to Higher Incidence of Breast Cancer in Black Women
It's unclear the factors that contribute to the higher incidence of breast cancer in black women but it may be due to an aggressive form of a tumor that is not easily detected by a mammogram. In addition, this type of tumor is much more resistant to treatment regimens such as tamoxifen, which is an estrogen-blocking drug.

Screening Rates of Breast and Colon Cancer
While there wasn't a significant difference in black and white women's screening rates for breast cancer diagnosis, there was a disparity in blacks diagnosed with colon cancer. The incidence of colon cancer among white women has decreased during the study period; however, the diagnosis of it increased for blacks.

The Need for Further Research
This study simply reports incidence data without providing the reasons for the results. While the researchers can speculate the causes for the higher incidence of breast cancer and colon cancer among black women compared to white women, concrete reasons are difficult to predict.

Further research might explore the factors contributing to the development of breast cancer and colon cancer among different races. It may also be beneficial to study other races such as Asians and Hispanics to help identify causes for the higher incidences of breast cancer in black women.

Breast Cancer Awareness Among Races
It's important to also consider that breast cancer awareness is not as high among some races compared to others. This goes for other forms of cancer such as colon cancer. For some people, it's because of a lack of adequate cancer insurance. However, early detection increases the chances of cancer survival. Increasing breast cancer awareness along with other forms of cancer can significantly increase screening rates to identify and treat the onset of cancer.