Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for Black women. Black women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer at the same rate as white women, yet they are 40% more likely to die from the disease and twice as likely to die from it if they are older than 50, according to American Cancer Society data. According to ACS estimates, more than 36,000 Black women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
Structural racism, inequalities in social determinants of health, barriers in access to care, and other issues mean that Black women (in fact, all Black people) are:
- More likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage cancer
- More likely to experience delays in treatment
- Less likely to receive recommended treatment
But this promising program provides hope and opportunities for a better outcome. Black Ladies Advocating for Cancer Care (BLACC), is a still-under-development peer navigation program to help newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The project is sponsored by Stanford Medicine and the California Breast Cancer Research Program.
There are other formal and informal breast cancer peer navigation programs throughout the country geared toward Black women.
If you are aware of one in your area, please share it with this community. ------------------------------
Penny Schnarrs she/her
Virtual Communities Program Manager
Association of American Medical Colleges
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