SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – Women in minority groups have greater chances of dying from breast cancer. Experts explain why this is.
“African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer, however, they have a higher rate of death of breast cancer,” Executive Director Multicultural Institute Dr. Lisa Merritt said.
Studies show African-American women have a 31-percent breast cancer mortality rate, this is the highest of any U.S. racial or ethnic group. But we can’t exclude Latin-American women either.
“One in eight women develop breast cancer and in the Hispanic population, it’s one in 10 so it’s still very common,” SMH Breast Surgical Oncologist Dr. Sarah Kimball said.
According to HealthyWomen, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Latin women. Women in minority groups have more advanced breast cancers.
“Hispanic women are more likely to develop triple negative breast cancer,” Dr. Kimball said. This is a subtype that is more aggressive.”
Dr. Kimball says it’s multifactorial, there are several reasons why the odds may be against minority women.
“There are problems with access and lack of early screening,” Dr. Merritt said. “When you problems with access to care and insurance coverage and different levels of care. We know that cancer care outcomes improve if somebody has insurance versus not having insurance.”
Women should do self-examinations every month, and do yearly mammogram screenings starting at age 40.
“Our goal is to find something smaller than 1 cm in size so that’s why mammograms are so important,” Dr. Kimball said. “It finds things before they even create a mass.”
Dr. Merritt says early detection is the key.
“A lumpectomy is far simpler than a full mastectomy with chemo-radiation, far fewer complications.”
And just because it’s not genetic, doesn’t mean you can’t get it. Dr. Kimball says breast cancer doesn’t discriminate.
“Ninety percent of breast cancers, you do not have a family history,” Kimball said. “The main risk factors for breast cancer are being female and age. And you can’t control those things.”
There is no pain associated with breast cancer, so if you see a lump, get checked. Staying healthy, eating clean and exercise help, but the best way to survive breast cancer is to catch it early.
