| ent study released in Chicago in early-August this | | | | black women who are pre-menopausal. Among older |
| year said that young black women with breast | | | | black women, this basal-like subtype also accounts |
| cancer were “far more likely” to get a | | | | for 14 percent of breast cancer cases. Overall, it was |
| more lethal and aggressive form of cancer compared | | | | prevalent in only 16 percent of non-black women of |
| to white women. The study covered a total of 496 | | | | any age. |
| women below the age of 55 who had been | | | | The study said that this type of genetic profiling of |
| diagnosed with breast cancer from 1993 to 1996. | | | | breast cancer suffered has led drug manufacturers |
| The study suggested that biology could provide | | | | to product a new generation of best cancer drugs |
| some answers as to why black women were | | | | that are targeted at specific race groups. Reports |
| afflicted with deadlier forms of breast cancer than | | | | indicate that these new generation drugs have met |
| their white counterparts. Previous studies said the | | | | with startling success. However, with regard to the |
| difference may have been due to inadequate | | | | basal-like breast cancer subtype, there are no such |
| screening rates. | | | | targeted therapies that have been developed and |
| Official government figures indicate that a greater | | | | the conventional chemotherapy is still the best |
| percentage of black women die from breast cancer | | | | medical approach. |
| than men. Since 1990, breast cancer has caused 15.4 | | | | Doctors said the next step is further research that |
| deaths among black women for every 100,000 | | | | can provide a deeper understanding of what causes |
| population compared to 9.3 deaths for white women | | | | the more lethal subtype of breast cancer and why it |
| for every 100,000 population. | | | | tends to afflict a greater percentage of black |
| Medical doctors have said that, traditionally, more | | | | women. At the moment, it is uncertain whether this |
| white women have contracted breast cancer | | | | subtype has anything to do with any inherited |
| compared to African American women, but that | | | | predisposition or with the fact that black women are |
| when the latter suffer from breast cancer, it is | | | | exposed to something in the environment that other |
| usually a more aggressive type of cancer that is | | | | women are not. Doctors did state, however, that |
| exceedingly more difficult to treat. | | | | one reason for the higher mortality rate among black |
| Medical researchers identified a quick-spreading, | | | | women is in prevailing disparities in access to |
| basal-like subtype of breast cancer that has afflicted | | | | treatment. |
| a high level of black women, about 39 percent of | | | | |