It's no secret that breast cancer affects black women the most. Even though all races have the propensity to get breast cancer at some point in their lives, research has shown that it is more common in black women. According to the American Cancer Society, as of 2019 breast cancer is the leading cause of death in black women
in the United States.
Why is that?
Although the onset may occur at any time, black women are at a higher risk of both medical and health complications:
- Being diagnosed at a later stage; which could be due to not having access to adequate healthcare and systemic racism.
- Most commonly diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer; a highly aggressive form of the disease.
- Being overweight, diabetic, etc.
If you are a POC and breast cancer runs in your family, make sure you:
- Get your annual screening once a year.
- Do routine self-checks.
- Educate yourself! The science and treatment of breast cancer is always evolving.
Edited by: Briana Thomas
References:
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- More Black Women Die from Breast Cancer Than Any Other Cancer
- What Black women need to know about breast cancer
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