
Women of color and young women face elevated risks of developing triple-negative breast cancers, finds research published in CANCER. Triple-negative breast cancers are often aggressive and do not respond to hormone therapy or targeted therapy.
Previous U.S. studies have found racial disparities in triple-negative breast cancer diagnoses, but few have looked beyond the scope of one state. To conduct a larger study, Lia Scott, PhD, MPH, of the Georgia State University School of Public Health, and her colleagues analyzed all breast cancer cases diagnosed during 2010-2014 from the United States Cancer Statistics database, a population-based surveillance system of cancer registries with data representing 99 percent of the U.S. population.
The team identified 1,151,724 cases of breast cancer from 2010-2014, with triple-negative cases accounting for approximately 8.4 percent of all cases. The researchers uncovered a significant burden of triple-negative breast cancer for women of color, specifically non-Hispanic black women, and for younger women.
The authors noted that due to the aggressive nature of triple-negative breast cancer and the lack of therapeutic options, it is important to know which individuals face a higher risk and what factors may influence this risk.
"With the advent and availability of more comprehensive cancer data, such as the United States Cancer Statistics database, it is important that we continue to explore disparities in order to better inform practice and policy around screenable cancers like breast cancer," said Dr. Scott. "We hope that this update on the epidemiology of triple-negative breast cancer can provide a basis to further explore contributing factors in future research."
Source: Eurekalert
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