Many people are aware of the disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and survival between white women and non-white women. In African American women less than 50 years old, the incidence (the number of women who get breast cancer) is less than that for white women. The shocking part of this data is that for African American women, the death rate is 77% higher than white women. Let me put this is plain terms to summarize: young African American women die at a higher rate from breast cancer than our white counterparts.
    Why is there such a disparity? Thanks to oncologist Dr. Lisa Carey  we are starting to get the answers to this puzzling question. It is well known that African American women below age 50 have a more aggressive tumors that spread very quickly. Once a cancer spreads throughout the body, it makes it difficult for us to control (although not impossible).
    Dr. Carey found that these women have a special subtype of breast cancer, called basal-like, that limits their responsiveness to many chemotherapy agents. One of the biggest differences is that they lack estrogen, progesterone and Her2 receptors. We have developed drugs to block these receptors, thus controlling the growth and spread of breast cancer cells. This limits the number of medications available to this section of African American women for treatment.
    There are also many practical issues that contribute to these horrible statistics. African American women are not doing self-breast exams, are not getting mammograms as recommended by the American Cancer Society and are not paying attention to our family history. Fear of losing a breast is a valid concern. However, with early detection, lumpectomy is an option. Many physicians have not grasped the concept that a breast mass in women younger than age 50 could be breast cancer. Physicians have to do a better job at recommending mammograms in women younger than 50 with a breast mass.
    It is great news that we are starting to answer the difficult question of why breast cancer is more deadly in African American women and this research will lead to more answers. We have much to learn about how breast cancer affects women of all races and ethnicities. We must get involved in the process (if you want to call it being a guinea pig, then so be it). Let us be part of the research process that will help save our daughters, granddaughters and future generations.