Living in historically redlined areas is associated with increased odds of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer in non-Hispanic Black women and late-stage diagnosis in non-Hispanic white women, a new study reveals. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, also found that persistent mortgage discrimination is tied to higher breast cancer mortality in non-Hispanic white women.
Dr. Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz and colleagues from Emory University analyzed data from 1,764 non-Hispanic Black and white women in Georgia diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2017. They discovered that Black women living in redlined areas had 62% higher odds of ER-negative breast cancer, while white women in these areas faced a 97% increase in odds of late-stage diagnosis.
The study highlights significant racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Black women were more likely to die from breast cancer regardless of where they lived, underscoring the complex interplay of social and structural factors affecting their health.
“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,” the authors stated.
The researchers noted that while Black women have slightly lower breast cancer incidence rates than white women, they are more frequently diagnosed with later-stage and more aggressive forms of the disease.
This study adds to growing evidence linking historical redlining and ongoing mortgage discrimination to health inequities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive approaches to address these disparities in breast cancer care and outcomes.
See “Mortgage discrimination tied to breast cancer outcomes” (February 21, 2024)
