Breast cancer deadlier for blacks

Why? Report blames racism, says mammograms, care may be inferior

By Jim Ritter
Health Reporter
Chicago Sun-Times

African-American women in Chicago are much more likely than white women to die of breast cancer, and the racial gap is widening, according to a new study that calls the disparity "morally wrong, medically unacceptable and reversible."

Just 10 years ago, black and white women in Chicago died at the same rate from breast cancer. But the most recent figures available, for 2003, show the mortality rate among black women was 73 percent higher, researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital's Urban Health Institute report in a study being released today. Nationwide, the gap was about half that -- 37 percent.

The disparity in death rates appears to be the result of racism, "and it appears to be institutionalized," said Alan Channing, chief executive of Sinai Health System.

In Chicago, white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a rate 15 percent higher than the rate in black women.

So why are more blacks dying from the disease?

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Comments

[Dorothee]

Did you also know that the risk of stroke is TWICE as high in African Americans than in white Americans? Check out this PSA released by the AD Council and American Stroke Association: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy6HbEe4q_I

[sally hemings]

I have worked in the insurance industry for over 20 years. Insurance companies AND healthcare providers are concerned about profits.

Doctors complain about maipractice rates. What they don't say is that they refuse to get rid of the bad apples. Heaven forbid they take out one of their own. Just because their mistakes harm or even worse kill people. Try to get a true peer review. The costs are driven by the costs of flying in experts to testify.

When treatment protocols and treatment are established it addresses the white popluation.

Our leaders worry about whether Fred and Barney are sleeping together or the small percentage of the population that seeks abortion.

The real threat to our daily security is lack of affordable and proper medical treatment.

[Nubianem]

According to an article from BBC News http://www.bbcnews.com ), there is a strong correlation between women who have abortions and breast cancer.

Whatever causes women who have had abortions to get breast cancer may be a mystry to some. However, anyone who understands the idea of live being a 'circular' function and that when one aspect of the chain is broken the cycle is affected, then one sees how when a pregnancy is stopped, the cells responsible for creating mammary milk and breast cells in general may become cancerous.

In fact, the connection between prostate cancer in men and certain types of liquid foods from animals has been studied. Is the fat in milk causing a problem for the prostate.

In like manner, if a women's breast is preparing for breast feeding, has milk and is suddenly stopped, what happens to the milk and the cells that were 'activated' upon pregnancy to create milk?

It may be that these very cells become cancerous. Added to the abrupt stopping of the cells from doing it natural work of preparing the woman's breasts for feeding is the possibility that the homonal cycle may also go into 'shock.'

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[Molly, NYC]

While the health delivery system isn't what it should be for Black women (and everyone else), some of the discrepancy comes from the fact that a lot of African-American women get a nastier version of the disease, that hits younger women (30s and 40s) and doesn't respond so well to the taxols and other advances in breast cancer treatment that have come up over the last decade.