Historical Redlining Linked to Worse Breast Cancer Outcomes

Women living in historically redlined areas face significantly higher risks of negative breast cancer outcomes, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The research provides evidence that discriminatory housing policies from decades ago continue to impact health disparities today.

 

Researchers examined data from over 1,700 Black and white women diagnosed with breast cancer in Georgia between 2010-2017. They found that women in historically redlined neighborhoods had 60% higher breast cancer mortality overall compared to those in non-redlined areas.

 

For Black women specifically, living in redlined areas was associated with 62% higher odds of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype. White women in redlined zones had nearly double the odds of late-stage diagnosis.

 

“Our observations reinforce the concept of race as a social construct and emphasize the need for a more nuanced investigation of the differing social and structural drivers of disparate breast cancer outcomes,” said lead author Dr. Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz.

 

The study highlights how racist policies like redlining – which denied mortgages to residents of minority neighborhoods – created long-lasting health inequities. While redlining was officially banned in 1968, its effects persist in neighborhood resources, environmental exposures, and access to care.

 

Researchers call for additional studies on how various social and structural factors intersect to drive racial disparities in breast cancer mortality. They emphasize the need to address historical and ongoing discrimination to improve health outcomes for all.