BCRF’s Health Equity Initiative Releases Largest Study on How Social Drivers of Health Impact Breast Cancer Outcomes in Black Women

Study from BCRF’s health equity initiative finds underuse of mammograms a major contributor to later-stage diagnoses in Black women

San Antonio, TX (Dec 12, 2024) – Today, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) unveiled the largest study to date examining the impact of individual social drivers of health (SDOH) on breast cancer outcomes in Black women. The comprehensive analysis, which involved nearly 5,000 participants, sheds light on critical factors contributing to later-stage breast cancer diagnoses and elevated mortality rates in this population. The report, presented at today’s poster session, is expected to publish in full in late 2025.

Key Findings
The study reveals significant disparities in early breast cancer detection among Black women, with particular emphasis on the underuse of mammograms. Key findings from the study include:

• Underuse of Mammograms: Black women who did not obtain regular mammograms were 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with Stage 3 or 4 breast cancer compared to Stage 1.
• Household Income: Women living below the federal poverty line were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4, compared to Stage 1.

Social Drivers of Health: A Key Driver of Health Disparities
This study’s focus on the heterogeneity within the population of Black women — rather than comparing them to white women — offers a deeper understanding of how factors such as income level, insurance coverage, and access to preventive care contribute to health outcomes.

Key Takeaways

The study’s findings underscore the critical need for interventions that will advance health equity, including:

• Increasing Mammogram Access: Expanding access to preventive screenings, particularly mammograms, for Black women could significantly reduce the number of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses.
• Addressing Economic and Insurance Barriers: Ensuring that Black women have adequate financial stability and opportunities to access high-quality, affordable health care could reduce delays in diagnosis and improve early-stage detection.

Improving early-stage diagnoses is crucial because, among Black women, localized breast cancer has a 97% 5-year survival rate, compared to just 24% for Stage 4 breast cancer. Early detection and timely treatment can dramatically improve outcomes and survival rates for Black women with breast cancer.

Today, Black women are 38% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, despite slightly lower incidence rates. BCRF is committed to ending disparities in breast cancer outcomes for women of color through a multi-pronged investigation into why this gap persists. BCRF’s Health Equity Initiative is made possible by The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF).

“This study is a major step forward in helping us unravel the key causes underpinning disparities in breast cancer outcomes,” said Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry, Chief Scientific Officer at BCRF. “By identifying specific determinants for individuals at this scale, we can inform potential interventions to improve breast cancer survival and reduce disparities.”

Poster authors included:

Mollie E. Barnard1, Bo Qin2, Marc A. Emerson3, Etienne X. Holder1, Elisa V. Bandera2, Christine B. Ambrosone4, Julie R. Palmer1, Melissa A. Troester3,5, Terry Hyslop6, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative*

1Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA, 2Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes, Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, 3Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 4Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA, 5Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 6Center for Cancer Health Equity, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

*BCRF’s Health Equity Initiative Members: Lori J. Pierce, Lisa A. Carey, Christine B. Ambrosone, Melissa B. Davis, Dawn L. Hershman, Lisa A. Newman, Julie R. Palmer, Mollie E. Barnard, Etienne X. Holder, Elisa Bandera, Bo Qin, Melissa A. Troester, Marc A. Emerson, Charles M. Perou, Julienne E. Bower, Scarlett Gomez, Terry Hyslop, Leigh Pearce, Priya Malhotra, Dorraya El-Ashry, Judy E. Garber, and Larry Norton.