New study shows communication is a factor when black women decline breast cancer treatment
In an effort to better understand why black women experience higher breast cancer mortality compared with white women, researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (GLCCC) conducted a study in which they determined that black women with breast cancer are 3 times more likely to postpone treatment for more than 90 days when compared with white women.
Furthermore, many women opt out of all treatment. GLCCC research shows that an important factor in a black woman’s choosing to forgo treatment is unsatisfactory communication between the patient and her oncologist.
The GLCCC study included 359 women (58% black; 42% white) diagnosed with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer. The women answered questions related to their experiences with their oncologists, their marital status, and their religion.
Study results showed that the average delay in treatment for single, black women reporting a lack of trust in their oncologists was 71.8 days compared with a 55-day delay for single, white women who reported less trust in their oncologist. Moreover, a treatment postponement for more than 90 days was more likely among single, black women who considered themselves religious (27%) than among white women (8.3%).
The study is published online in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.