A new study on breast cancer raises questions about the age at which Black women should get screened. That's because, while Black women have a 4% lower rate of getting breast cancer than White women, they have a 40% higher mortality rate.
The new study shows that it may be best for Black women to start getting screened for breast cancer at 42 — eight years earlier than current recommendations. According to Dr. Maurice Willis at the St. Louis University School of Medicine, it may have to do with genetics.
"I think some of it is heredity, where they may have a higher incidence of certain types of breast cancer that are more aggressive," Dr. Willis said. "It has probably not much to do with equity, as far as you know, the screenings available for them."
Another study of the issue cited by the American Cancer Society says equity may play at least some part in it, writing that "progress against breast cancer mortality could be accelerated by mitigating racial disparities through increased access to high-quality screening and treatment via nationwide Medicaid expansion and partnerships between community stakeholders, advocacy organizations, and health systems."
Dr. Willis added that the new guidance for screening age is similar to the changes made recently for Black men and prostate cancer — they need to be screened sooner, he said, because there's a higher incidence of prostate cancer among Black men.
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