Race a factor in breast cancer survival

In the fight against breast cancer, the chances of survival may depend in part on the color of a woman's skin.

New research of 15,000 women with advanced breast cancer. From 1988 to 2003 - survival rates among African Americans held steady at around 17 months compared to an increase from 20 to 27 months among white women.

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2007, more than 180,000 women will be diagnosed whith breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die from the disease.

Researchers at the M.D Anderson Cancer Center did not look at reasons behind the disparity.

"The one year survival back in the late 1980's was only about three percent different between white and black patients, by the time you get to the early 2000's it's a nine-percent difference," Oncologist Sharon Giordano said. "I don't think the biology of the disease would change over time like that. I think it's more likely due to socioeconomic factors or access to care."

Along with access to care, recent studies have suggested that African American women are more likely to develop more aggressive forms of breast cancers that don't respond as well to conventional therapies.

Researchers plan to study the reasons for the growing gap in survival rates - but in the meantime many communities are working to change - training church leaders like Pastor Harry Burns.

"My role um before was to help develop care teams for people that were chronically ill," Burns, who now preaches the message of prevention, said. "Annual physical check ups, examinations. Also changing our lifestyles, healthy eating."


About the study:
The researchers analyzed the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to identify 15,438 women who newly diagnosed with advanced breast cancer between 1988and 2003.

Adjustment factors included: patient age; estrogen receptor status; and tumor grade.

Patients were divided into three subgroups: those diagnosed from1988 to 993; from 1994 to 1998; and from 1999 to 2003. Overall, the median age of the women was 62 years old; median breast cancer-specific survival was 20 months, 21 months and 25 months respectively.

In those diagnosed with advanced breast cancer between 1988 and 1993, the median survival was 20 months in white women, compared to 17 months for black women, a one-year survival difference of 2.8 percent. In the women diagnosed between 1994 and 1998, a white breast cancer patient's median survival was 22 months versus 16 months, in black patients, a one-year survival difference of 6.8 percent. In those diagnosed from 1999 to 2003, the median survival for white women was 27 months compared to 17 months for black women, a one-year survivor difference of 8.8 percent.

The researchers hope that health policy makers take notice of the growing disparity and implement steps to make all breast cancer treatments more accessible. Giordano and Dawood also intend to expand upon their research and determine the causation of these racial disparities.

source:www.kare11.com