Obesity Contributes to 40% Death Gap Between Black and White Women with Early Breast Cancer

Black women had higher obesity rates and other health conditions that can affect survival than white women, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal CANCER. Obesity's rise over the past few decades has added to the increase in breast cancer rates greater in Black women than white women. Simultaneously, as breast cancer death rates have declined, the decline has been less pronounced in Black women, producing a 40 percent mortality gap.

To investigate further, Kirsten Nyrop, Ph.D., and her colleagues examined data concerning 548 patients treated at their hospital for early breast cancer.

The team discovered that 62 percent of Black patients and 33percent of white patients fell within the obese weight range. Greater percentages of Black women had obesity-related comorbidities, like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, compared to white women. Yet, despite significant variations in the prevalence of obesity and comorbidities, there were no disparities between Black and white patients in treatment decisions about the type of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or endocrine therapy.

"Early breast cancer is treatable, and survival rates have increased steadily due to treatment advances and early detection through mammograms; but, the high rates of obesity, overall comorbidities, and obesity-related comorbidities seen among women with early breast cancer particularly among Black women can add to disparities in overall survival of these patients," said Dr. Nyrop.

"Findings from this study need to be viewed within the larger context of the cancer-obesity connection and the disparate influence of the obesity epidemic on communities of color in the United States."

Dr. Nyrop noted that rates of many cancers impacted by obesity are higher in Black women, as are rates of various obesity-related conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

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"As the coronavirus pandemic has glaringly underscored, there is an urgent need to discuss the systemic and socioeconomic aspects of obesity that disproportionately afflict minority communities in the U.S. if we are to reverse health disparities."

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Source-Medindia