Study confirms breast cancer worse in US blacks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Black American women are more likely to have a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer, they get it earlier and they are more likely to die of it, researchers said on Thursday.
Their findings, presented at a breast cancer conference in San Francisco, support other studies that show clear ethnic differences in breast cancer that are likely to be genetic in origin.
The findings held regardless of a woman's income, education or insurance coverage, Dr. Catherine Lee of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center said.
"We found overall that African-Americans are diagnosed at younger ages and at more advanced stages than their white American counterparts," Lee told reporters in a telephone briefing.
Blacks are also far more likely to have a form of cancer called estrogen receptor-negative cancer -- the type that is not helped by estrogen-based drugs such as tamoxifen.
Lee's team analyzed data on 170,079 cases of breast cancer from 1,600 hospitals in all 50 states. White women accounted for 90 percent of the cases, with black women making up nearly 10 percent.
Thirty-nine percent of black women had ER-negative tumors, compared with 22 percent of white women. Black women were diagnosed at an average age of 57, compared to 62 for white women, yet their cancer was more advanced, with just 29 percent having stage 1 tumors that had not spread yet, compared to 42 percent of white women.
The findings bolster a growing body of evidence that shows breast cancer is different biologically in African-American women, Lee told the Breast Cancer Symposium, co-sponsored by the American Society of Breast Disease, the American Society of Breast Surgeons and other groups.
"Differences in tumor biology have a significant impact on survival," Lee said in a statement.
"The fact that breast cancers in black women are more aggressive biologically suggests that we need to focus more of our research energy on developing better treatments targeting ER-negative tumors," she added.
"These findings also point to a need for improved cancer education and screening in black women, particularly those in younger age groups."
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer killer of women, after lung cancer. It will be diagnosed in 1.2 million people globally this year and will kill 500,000.
What breastcancer.org says about this article…
Study confirms breast cancer worse in US blacks
This large study (more than 170,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States participated) confirms the results of earlier studies. Breast cancer in African American women is typically more aggressive than breast cancer in white women. Compared to white women, breast cancer in African American women tends to be:
- diagnosed at a younger age
- more advanced at diagnosis
- more likely to be fatal at an earlier age
The results also show that African American women are more likely to have estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer.
Normal breast cells have hormone receptors for estrogen and progesterone. These hormones influence the health and function of a normal breast. If breast cells turn cancerous, some still have hormone receptors. Others lose this feature. The cancer cells without receptors are called hormone-receptor-negative. Hormone-receptor-negative breast cancers are typically more aggressive and harder to treat. Hormonal therapy often can successfully treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. But hormonal therapy doesn't affect hormone-receptor-negative cancers.
Differences in breast cancer between African American women and white women are probably due to genetic differences. Doctors use the term "biologically different" to describe genetic differences in cancers. Other research has suggested that some of the differences in cancers between African American women and white women could be due to different quality medical care received by women of various races. Still, genetic differences explain most of the cancer differences.
EVERY woman with breast cancer — no matter her age, height, weight, ethnicity, or medical history — is unique. And the same is true of every breast cancer. The challenge is to better understand the differences in breast cancer biology. Researchers hope to develop tests that can give us a fuller, more complete picture of a cancer's genetic makeup. Then treatments can be prescribed that are personalized for each cancer.
Until that time, screening is a good place to start eliminating the differences. Breast cancer that is diagnosed early is typically easier to treat and offers the best survival chances.
Regular screening for breast cancer, including breast self-exam and mammograms, is important for everyone. When you have a mammogram, make sure your doctor tells you about the results. If you don't hear something, call the office. If you're not sure what the results mean, ask your doctor right away. If cost or scheduling problems are making it hard for you to schedule a mammogram or a follow-up visit with your doctor, ask for help. It's YOUR health and YOUR future and you deserve the best care possible.
