Cited by 48Breast Cancer Treatment StudiesBRCA gene mutations in cancerCancer Risks and Factors

Breast cancer disparities in outcomes; unmasking biological determinants associated with racial and genetic diversity

Open access
Martini, Rachel, Newman, Lisa, Davis, Melissa·2022·Clinical & Experimental Metastasis

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) remains a leading cause of death among women today, and mortality among African American women in the US remains 40% higher than that of their White counterparts, despite reporting a similar incidence of disease over recent years. Previous meta-analyses and studies of BC mortality highlight that tumor characteristics, rather than socio-economic factors, drive excess mortality among African American women with BC. This is further complicated by the heterogeneity of BC, where BC can more appropriately be defined as a collection of diseases rather than a single disease. Molecular phenotyping and gene expression profiling distinguish subtypes of BC, and these subtypes have distinct prognostic outcomes. Racial disparities transcend these subtype-specific outcomes, where African American women suffer higher mortality rates among all BC subtypes. The most striking differences are observed among the most aggressive molecular subtype, triple-negative BC (TNBC), where incidence and mortality are significantly higher among African American women compared to all other race/ethnicity groups. We and others have shown that this predisposition for triple-negative disease may be linked to shared west African ancestry, where the highest rates of TNBC are observed among west African nations, and these high frequencies follow into the African diaspora. Genetic and molecular characterization of breast tumors among subtypes and racial/ethnic groups have begun to identify targets with future therapeutic potential, but more work needs to be done to identify targeted treatment options for all women who suffer from BC.

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  • In clinical practice, there are known disparities in access to newer imaging technologies and in patient outcomes for underserved populations, such as Black women.

    “In clinical practice, there are known disparities in access to newer imaging technologies and patient outcomes for underserved populations, such as Black women (176-178).”
  • Genetic ancestry may be causally related to some genetic traits and diseases, unlike the social construct of race.

    “Fairness and diversity have especially important considerations in such applications given that genetic ancestry may be causally related to some genetic traits and diseases (178, 183-186), as opposed to the social construct of race (173).”

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Authors
Martini, R., Newman, L., & Davis, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Georgia (US)
  • Weill Cornell Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Davis, Melissa
Venue
Clinical & Experimental Metastasis
Published
2021-05-05
Volume
39
Issue
1
Pages
7-14
ISSN
  • 0262-0898 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-7276
OpenAlex
W3157849147
Cited by
46
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 4
FWCI
0.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Clinical & Experimental Metastasis (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Cancer Institute (5R21CA210237-03)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Breast Cancer Treatment Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › BRCA gene mutations in cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Risks and Factors
Keywords
breast cancer, racial disparities, African American women, breast cancer mortality, triple-negative breast cancer, breast cancer subtypes, molecular phenotyping, gene expression profiling, genetic ancestry, prognostic outcome, targeted therapy
MeSH terms
Black or African American, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Humans, Genetic Variation, Incidence, Black People, Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

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