Black Americans are still more likely to die from cancer, study says – Mosaic

Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and Black men and women have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health found that.

While cancer deaths have fallen since 1991, a new analysis by researchers at Duke University has found that “substantial racial and ethnic disparities persisted for many common and preventable cancers.” These high rates of cancer contribute, in part, to a lower life expectancy for Black men and women.

Researchers Tomi Akinyemiju and Anjali Gupta report that white Americans had a cancer death rate of about 149 per 100,000 by 2020, while Black Americans’ rate was 167 per 100,000. For Black men, the odds of dying from prostate cancer was twice as high as white men.

For breast cancer, the racial gap widened with Black women being 31% more likely than white women to die in 2000 and 37% more likely to die from the disease in 2020. One issue is that women of color get diagnosed with breast cancer later, said Dr. Tesia McKenzie, a breast surgical oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Bayshore Medical Center.

“There are multiple trials and studies going on to investigate why the difference exists,” she said.

Historically, physicians like Samuel A. Cartwright wrote extensively and disparagingly about the mental health of enslaved Black people in his books. And, in Linda Villarosa’s chapter in “The 1619 Project,” she documents racism in health care as far back as Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in “Notes on the State of Virginia,” that there were distinctions between the races that nature has made. “They secrete less by the kidneys and more by the glands of the skin… they seem to require less sleep.”

Even today, some white doctors still believe Black people do not feel pain the way white people do.

History influences the behavior of patients and treatment by their doctors. However, changing the ways Black men and women interact with health care professionals may save their lives, physicians said. Strong communication with health care providers, keeping a log of visits and discussions about medications are all part of the remedy to ensure all patients receive the best care possible.

Get screenings

McKenzie says some women don’t know the importance of getting a screening, so they don’t know that if they feel something they need to tell their doctor. Even with early detection, McKenzie says Black women have these higher risk breast cancers like the triple negative breast cancers or HER2-Positive and researchers are still trying to figure out why.

A patient’s environment and their income — which is attached to health insurance and a patient’s ability to pay for screenings — play a significant part in health care opportunities and outcomes.

McKenzie says it’s important for women to do research and talk to their doctors because some places offer vouchers for screenings like Riverview and Bayshore Hospitals, where McKenzie has her practice.

Ask questions

She says women don’t know what to ask, so they don’t know where to start. But she said being armed with knowledge about every detail makes everything less frightening and the patient has more reference points and autonomy.

“The unknown is scary, but that’s why we’re here,” she said. “You know, it’s simpler if you go in and ask, how is this going to work? If your doctor says you need to go for this specific test, ask what is that test like?”

Going to either your primary care doctor or your OB GYN every year is where you start. She says someone is making sure that you’re staying on track.

Keep a journal

She also recommends keeping a medical journal no matter your age, but especially as we get older. People see more doctors and need more tests and keeping it all straight is important.

“It’s easier if you have your doctor’s appointment book,” she said. “Just write down, I saw my OB GYN on this day, I had my mammogram and they say that I need to go for x, y and z. And then you go for those things.”

McKenzie says doctor’s offices are not perfect. She encourages patients to keep that control for themselves – appointments, prescriptions, changes to drugs or dosages.

Part of a patient’s history is not just when their last exam was, it also includes health information about a patient’s relatives. Knowing your family history is key, she said.

“Maybe someone you know passed away from this rare cancer which means you should probably get tested, McKenzie said.

Volunteer for trials

McKenzie recommends that Black women participate in medical trials.

“A lot of more emphasis has been put on having more African American women or women of color enroll in trials so that we’re able to figure out answers to those questions and the disparity between groups and so that we can see how certain drugs are affecting Black patients,” she said.

Medical oncologists and breast surgeons would be able to provide the most information and possibly help get a patient enrolled. McKenzie said patients can also look up trials online and enroll online and they are trying to get more people of color.

While Black people historically have mistrusted medical trials but McKenzie said trials are now vigorously tested before patients are enrolled. “They’ve done a lot better in making sure these research trials are ethical,” she said.

“We are suffering, we see the disparities and it’s catching up to us,” McKenzie said. “And what I like to say is we’ve overcome so much as a people and there are many things that go on in the world that we can’t control.

“But, in regard to what happens to us, this is something that we can take control of which is our health — going to the doctor and being aware and then doing something about it.”

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Ande Richards wants to hear from New Jersey’s communities of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and those who feel underserved by traditional media. She may be reached at arichards@njadvancemedia.com.

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