Healthcare Disparities: Breast Cancer Deaths for Chicago blacks double that of whites

From the Chicago Tribune:

In 1980, black women and white women in Chicago with breast cancer were equally likely to die.

Since then, death rates for white patients have improved dramatically. But that is not the case for their African-American counterparts, who are now dying at a rate 116 percent higher than whites, according to data released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force.

How can we explain this sickening disparity? Experts say genetics or biology alone cannot explain the difference. The culprit is our broken health care system, which favors those with lots of money and information. Fact is, black women are less likely to get mammograms. And when they do, the article states, the mammograms are likely to be of inferior quality. Furthermore, diagnosis usually occurs in a later stage, often when it is too late. Couple that with lower quality treatment, and we end up with this awful racial disparity.

So what can we do? Educate everyone-- all races, languages, and neighborhoods-- about the importance of screening. And advocate for better health coverage, eliminating co-pays and deductibles for cancer screening and treatment.