Disparity in Breast Cancer Treatments

The international journal of the American Cancer Society has recently published a study ran by Healthcore Inc. The study, which demonstrates the differences in the treatment of breast cancer between commercially insured white and black women, was released in the journal’s January 1 edition. The study suggests that African-American women under government health programs are often diagnosed in the later stages of cancer.

According to Dr. Joe Singer, current vice president of clinical affairs for HealthCore, the findings of the study suggests that certain disparities in the treatment of breast cancer exist regardless of whether the patient has an access to an employer-provided healthcare.

The study suggests that it is more common for white women than African-American women to be diagnosed with stage 0 or stage I cancer. In addition to that, researchers have also found that the percentage of African American women who were diagnosed with stage IV cancer was higher than that of white women. On the other hand, more number of white women who received anti-estrogen therapy as compared to those African-American patients. And finally, Healthcore researchers also found that African-American women were less likely to receive certain treatments such as aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen after being tested positive for hormone receptor cancer.