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CDC: Breast cancer mortality rates remain higher among black women
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Although breast cancer death rates among American women decreased from 2010 to 2014, the mortality rate remained 41% higher among black women than white women, according to a study by the CDC in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“The good news is that, overall, rates of breast cancer are decreasing among black women,” Jacqueline Miller, MD, medical director of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program and Captain with the U.S. Public Health Service, said in a press release.
“However, when compared with white women, the likelihood that a black woman will die after a breast cancer diagnosis is still considerably higher.”
Miller and colleagues used data from United States Cancer Statistics to evaluate age-specific race disparities in breast cancer incidence from 1999 to 2013, and in breast cancer mortality from 2000 to 2014.
Researchers found that although overall breast cancer incidence rates were similar, mortality rates remained higher among black women.
From 2009 to 2013, approximately 221,000 breast cancer cases were diagnosed each year, for an overall incidence of 121.5 cases per 100,000 people among black women and 123.6 cases among white women. Compared with white women, a greater proportion of black women were diagnosed when aged younger than 60 years, and fewer were diagnosed with localized disease (54% vs. 64%).
Breast cancer incidence from 1999 to 2004 decreased by 0.8% per year for white women of any age, while stabilizing for black women from 1999 to 2005.
There also was a disparity among women aged 60 to 69 years, for whom the annual percentage change in invasive breast cancer incidence was –0.7% among white women, but 1.3% among black women.
From 2010 to 2014, approximately 41,000 deaths from breast cancer occurred each year in the United States. Breast cancer death occurred at a rate of 29.2 deaths per 100,000 people (95% CI, 28.8-29.5) among black women and 20.6 deaths per 100,000 people (95% CI, 20.5-20.7) among white women, equating to a 41% higher mortality rate among black women.
From 2010 to 2014 breast cancer death rates dropped 1.9% per year for white women and 1.5% per year for black women.
The greatest disparity occurred among women aged 60 to 69 years, for whom breast cancer death rates dropped 2% among white women (56.6 deaths per 100,000; 95% CI, 56.0-57.1), but only 1% among black women (79 per 100,000; 95% CI, 77.1-80.8).
Researchers noted the decrease in death rates among women may be attributed to improved education about the importance of appropriate breast cancer screening and treatment, as well as greater access to personalized treatment.
“Our latest data suggests some improvement for black women when it comes to disparities,” Lisa Richardson, MD, director of the division of cancer prevention and control at the CDC, said in the press release. “First, the decline in deaths suggests that white and black women [younger than 50 years] are benefitting equally from cancer treatments.
“Second, we’re hopeful the lack of difference in death between black and white women [younger than 50 years] will start to be seen in older women,” she added.
To achieve continued decreases in breast cancer mortality among black and white women, there is a need to accelerate the understanding of breast cancer genomics for predicting risk and promoting effective treatment through new initiatives like the precision medicine initiative and the national cancer moonshot, researchers wrote. – by Chuck Gormley
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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