Breast cancer mortality disparities identified in Black and rural populations

Research highlights significant disparities in breast cancer mortality rates among different demographics in the United States. A study by Vanderbilt Health and Agendia published in npj Breast Cancer indicates that Black women are more than twice as likely to have aggressive basal-type tumors compared to white women. While Black women have a lower incidence rate, they face a 38 percent higher mortality rate, with women under 50 dying at approximately twice the rate of white women of the same age. The study suggests that once tumor biology is accounted for, survival is driven more by the tumor's molecular behavior than by race.

Separately, data presented at the AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities shows a widening gap between rural and urban populations. While breast cancer death rates have generally declined, they have fallen more slowly in rural areas. Projections suggest that by 2035, death rates among rural women could be 13 percent higher than those of urban women. Factors contributing to these higher risks in rural settings include lower income, later diagnoses, and gaps in treatment access.