Drug-Resistant Breast Cancer A Danger To Black Women

We’ve really gotta start taking better care of ourselves:

Black women are more likely to have diabetes, hypertension and certain forms of breast cancer than the general community. Yet many are reluctant to seek early treatment.
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African-American women in general don’t get the appropriate care they need,” says Shonda Perry, a physician at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital. “Many don’t have access to care, they fear going to a physician. There are so many obstacles they face.”
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Although a higher percentage of white women are diagnosed with breast cancer, black women have a higher death rate, Baker says. Black women also tend to be diagnosed later than white women.
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“That’s partially because of how late we wait to seek out treatment and some early detection methods,” Baker says. “Lack of information and knowledge, lack of access, transportation issues, there’s a multitude of issues that contribute to late diagnosis.”

Baker also sheds light on a form of breast cancer unique to black women called “triple negative.” The cancer is a triple threat because it strikes early, it’s resistant to standard drug treatments and it’s more likely to kill.