Abstract IA035: Narrowing disparities in breast cancer: A multi-level perspective

Abstract

Abstract Seminar Abstract: Despite improvements in breast cancer detection and treatment, racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes persist. In the United States, particularly the southeastern region, Black women are more likely to experience breast cancer-related mortality than any other race or ethnic group—regardless of subtype, age, or socioeconomic status. The drivers of disparities are likely multifactoral and include interacting factors (e.g., tumor, treatment, patient, and neighborhood characteristics) that contribute to race differences in breast cancer-specific mortality. Emerging data suggest that the excess breast cancer mortality experienced by Black women is linked to broader systems of oppression that impact everything from access and quality of care to tumor aggressiveness and treatment response—the imprints of which may be detectable in tumor biology. Comprehensive, multi-level approaches to addressing disparities will aid the identification of causal and contributing factors, moving us beyond merely documenting differences to creating action-oriented models aimed at achieving equitable cancer care within the social contexts of the communities affected. Citation Format: Lauren E. McCullough. Narrowing disparities in breast cancer: A multi-level perspective [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA035.