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Thoughts - Bernice Kendrick
This page is dedicated to all the Black women including other women that have circum to breast cancer and to the women who has survived or still battling. In this battle you are not alone, we are all in it with you. We all know someone who is suffering with breast cancer or has died from it. Black women develop the disease at a younger age than White women. Although White women are more likely than Black women to get breast cancer, Black women are more likely to die from it. As black women, we need to make a stronger preventive awareness in our communities.
Black Women and Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among African American women, and among women nationwide. Studies have shown that when African American women follow the same preventive measures as white women, their death rates from breast cancer are very similar. However, African American women are more likely than white women to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease and are more likely to die from it. Scientists are still exploring the reasons behind these trends.
Breast cancer is the cancer with the second highest death rate for both African American women and American women nationwide. The overall lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 10.14% for African American women and 13.83% for white women. However, about 31 out of every 100,000 African American women die from the disease each year compared to just 27 out of every 100,000 white women. In addition, while the death rate from breast cancer went down by 5% for white women from 1989 to 1992, it rose by 2% for African American women during the same period. Reasons Behind Racial DifferencesA number of studies have looked into the question of why the breast cancer mortality rate is higher for African American women than white women. They have looked at whether breast cancer affects African American women differently than it does women of other races. The results are not conclusive. Some studies show no basic differences across races. However, a recent study found tumor cells in African American women growing more rapidly, and concluded that this could lead to more aggressive cancers at an earlier age. This study also found that African American women may be less responsive to hormone treatment. Statistics show that overall, when African American women are diagnosed, they have larger tumors and their breast cancer has spread further (i.e. to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body). This is unfortunate because when breast cancer is discovered at more advanced stages, it is more difficult to treat, and survival rates are lower. SurvivalThe five-year breast cancer survival rate for African American women is 69%, whereas it is 84% for white women. Overall, the past 5 years have seen an increase in the number of women who undergo hand-examinations by their doctors and mammograms to check for lumps in their breasts. However, African American women have fewer mammograms than white women and are likely to be diagnosed after the cancer has spread. Researchers have shown that African American women who have regular mammograms have the same excellent chances of surviving breast cancer as all other groups of women.6 Tumors found early can be more easily treated and are more likely to be cured. All states and territories of the United States have programs that cover the cost of mammograms when insurance does not. Contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 to find the locations of these services in your community. TreatmentAfrican American women may be less likely to undergo appropriate treatment because of a higher frequency of low income, single parent households. Consider the following:
~ References~ http://www.celebratinglife.org/ http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/aahealth/bc.cfm http://www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/532152.html
~ Tributetoblackwomen.com 2006 ~ Website Design by LAS, USVI
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