Breast Cancer Survival May Not Be Tied To Race

According to a new study, race is not necessarily a factor in breast-cancer related deaths among black women.

Everyday Health reports:

Underinsured black breast cancer patients have worse survival outcomes than underinsured white patients, a new U.S. study has found.

Researchers analyzed the records of 574 breast cancer patients treated at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis between Jan. 1, 1997 and Feb. 28, 2006, and found that 84 percent of these patients were underinsured.

The study authors noted that black patients had more advanced breast cancer at diagnosis and poorer cancer-specific survival outcomes than whites. But after adjusting for age, cancer stage and other factors, they found that race was no longer significantly associated with breast cancer-related death.

In addition, contrary to previous study findings, black women were as likely as white women to opt for breast-conserving procedures and “adjuvant” therapy, which is therapy given after the completion of the initial treatment — such as chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy — to lower the risk of cancer recurrence.

Read the rest of the story at Everyday Health.