The Disparity of Breast Imaging Services

Out of the various racial divides in the U.S. and more than any other group, the African American population has a significantly larger number of women who are detected with breast cancer below the age of 40. More than 10% of African-American women with breast cancer were diagnosed before age 40, compared to 5% of white patients.

The breast cancer industry has only just begun to recognize this variance which has not yet resulted in government action or standards changes. Simply being black and female, and perhaps with dense breast tissue, significantly increases the chances of early stage breast cancer long before the first recommendation to get a first mammogram. Why is it that we still have a standard that suggests 40 as the baseline, when we are aware that African American women are more prone?

At a Society of Breast Imaging -lecture, a demographic study in the Chicago area focused on areas with large amounts of African American residents. Rush Memorial Hospital, for instance, is the hospital of choice in the primary region that is African American, and researchers plotted where the nearest breast imaging centers were. In the largest district of African American women, there was only 1 breast imaging center. As they moved out toward the more affluent suburbs, there was one on every corner. 

The disparity of the distribution of early stage breast cancer is horribly lopsided in the under-40 African American female population as the current standards do not take their frequency into consideration. Koning believes in shining light on the disparity in women’s health and is working towards providing the best possible breast healthcare for all women around the world. We seek to both spread awareness, and eliminate the issue of access. 

Source: 

https://www.rush.edu/news/disparity-breast-cancer-between-black-and-white-women