Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and is one of the leading causes of cancer death. The incidence, pathological features, and clinical outcomes in breast cancer differ by geographical distribution and across racial and ethnic populations. Importantly, racial and ethnic diversity in breast cancer clinical trials is lacking, with both Blacks and Hispanics underrepresented. In this forum article, breast cancer researchers from across the globe discuss the factors contributing to racial and ethnic breast cancer disparities and highlight specific implications of precision oncology approaches for equitable provision of breast cancer care to improve outcomes and address disparities.
Highlights
Hirko Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with an estimated 2.3 million new breast cancer cases in 2020, representing nearly 12% of all cancer diagnoses and 7% of all cancer deaths [1]
Approximately 12.7% of the US population are Black with African or Caribbean ancestry [46], yet fewer than 3% of patients enrolled in clinical trials are Black [47]
Clinical trial participants poorly reflect the make-up of the US population leading to insufficient information to adequately ascertain whether the trial was reflective of the general population in terms of race and ethnicity [48]
Summary
Breast cancer is both the most common cancer worldwide diagnosed in women aged 0–39 years and the biggest cause of cancer mortality (per year) in young women [49] accounting for 248,000 cases and 42,700 deaths each year. Increased frequency of biologically aggressive and more advanced stage tumors result in increased treatment with mastectomy in young Black compared to young White women This may partially explain why racial and ethnic minority patients report less favorable clinical experiences and lower satisfaction levels pertaining to their cancer treatment [62]. Breast cancer survival A number of studies have reported poorer long-term breast cancer outcomes in racial and ethnic minorities compared to White women which are not fully explained by the higher frequencies of higher stage and biologically aggressive tumors in these patient groups [50, 52, 64]. Recent research suggests that the previously unaccounted discrepancy in outcomes could be the result of further intrinsic differences in tumor biology between ethnic groups which are not routinely recorded, including increased frequency of luminal B tumors and different mutational patterns with increased somatic TP53 mutations [65]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
