Explaining disparity in breast cancer survival

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study suggests that black women are less likely to survive breast cancer because of co-existing conditions.
Although breast cancer survival has got better in the last 30 years, there's still a discrepancy between black and white women. The 1995-2000 survival rates were 75 per cent for black women, 89 per cent for white women - at five years.

Researchers at Brock University, St Catharine's, Ontario, Canada, now say that co-morbidities - that is, other illnesses - can account for much of the survival gap between black and white women in breast cancer. Analysis of a group consisting of 29 per cent black women showed that where diabetes and hypertension were also present, survival from breast cancer and all causes was lowered. The team says that comorbidities - of which diabetes and hypertension are most important - account for as much as 40 per cent of the difference in survival rates between black and white women. Fortunately, both diabetes and hypertension can be brought under control by medication and lifestyle changes. Such measures could go a long way toward evening out survival rates from breast cancer among black and white women.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 12th October 2005 Volume 294 pages 1765-1772

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