Mortgage discrimination tied to breast cancer outcomes

Mortgage discrimination is tied to breast cancer outcomes, a study published February 20 in JAMA Network Open found. Researchers led by Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz, PhD, from Emory University in Atlanta found that living in a historically redlined area is tied to increased odds of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer in non-Hispanic Black women and increased odds of late-stage diagnosis in non-Hispanic white women. They also reported that persistent mortgage discrimination is tied to higher breast cancer mortality in non-Hispanic white women, while non-Hispanic Black women were more likely to die of breast cancer no matter where they lived. “These findings emphasize the need for a more nuanced investigation of the social and structural drivers of disparate breast cancer outcomes,” Miller-Kleinhenz and colleagues wrote. Black women have a slightly lower rate of breast cancer incidence compared with white women, but they are more frequently diagnosed with later-stage disease, the researchers noted. This includes more aggressive forms of breast cancer such as ER-negative disease. Research by radiologists has demonstrated ties between social barriers to breast cancer screening access and outcomes. However, the Miller-Kleinhenz team pointed out that there is “limited understanding” of how societal structures drive inequitable outcomes. Recent studies have shown that historical redlining, a form of mortgage discrimination that was largely based on the racial and...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Breast Imaging Source Type: news