The American Cancer Society's journal, Cancer has made startling observations about breast cancer occurrence, treatment, recovery and survival in black women. African American women differ a lot in each of these areas, when compared to other races, according to the studies.
Naturally, this has become a much discussed and debated topic within medical circles. More so because the journal alleges that this is a direct result of racism in treatment centres and inferior treatment or mammograms given to black women.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center had a sample of 1,590 whites, 300 Hispanics and 250 blacks who participated in a two-part breast cancer clinical trial.
Anderson -- one of the nation's leading cancer centers, ensured even and equal treatment including chemotherapy cycles to each patient: black, white and Hispanic. The study was led by Dr Wendy Woodward of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston.
The major observations that came out from the study were: the 10-year survival rate was 62 percent for whites and Hispanics, but only 52 percent for blacks. Tumours in black women were more aggressive, more difficult to treat and therefore with a higher risk of fatality.
African-American women were found with more incidences of ER-negative disease or ER-negative tumours which leads to lower survival rate. This is because estrogen-receptor negative, or ER-negative, tumours, which are not fed by the hormone estrogen, are tougher to treat since they don't respond too well to normally effective breast cancer drugs such as tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors. However, Herceptin, another cancer drug has been effective in some cases.
These observations more or less completely negate traditional beliefs that black women succumb more to breast cancer because they don't take regular mammograms/treatment etc. this is also a major area of concern given American women's vulnerability to breast cancer. Statistics reveal that after lung cancer, breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in US women. While 211000 American women every year are diagnosed with the disease, a terrifyingly high number of 40000 women succumb to the disease.
