After a breast cancer diagnosis, many Black women face barriers that delay their care

There’s a vast body of research showing that Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer than other groups, despite having similar rates of incidence overall. To dig into potential health care-related drivers of that disparity, Troester and her colleagues assessed the course of care among 2,841 Black and white breast cancer patients in North Carolina. They found that while low socioeconomic status was associated with treatment delays among white women, treatment delays were high at all levels of socioeconomic status among Black women.

The study pinpointed three specific issues associated with prolonged breast cancer treatment: lack of insurance, transportation challenges, and financial strain, which is compounded by the wealth gap between Black and white families in the U.S., experts say.