# Black women face higher breast cancer death rates > Black women are 37% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women due to systemic delays in care and treatment. - Title: Black women face higher breast cancer death rates | Shortify - Summary: Black women are 37% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women due to systemic delays in care and treatment. Black women face a 37% higher breast… - Keywords: american cancer society, health care, cancer treatment, cancer, breast cancer, black women, mammogram, diagnostic delay, tumor biology, healthcare access, news, politics - Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/why-are-black-women-still-more-likely-to-die-from-breast-cancer - Published: 2026-10-27T17:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: american cancer society, health care, cancer treatment, cancer, breast cancer, black women, mammogram, diagnostic delay, tumor biology, healthcare access, news, politics ## Barryne Richardson's story Barryne Richardson, 37, was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in August 2022 but faced months-long delays in scheduling her first follow-up appointment. > If it were not for the emergency of the pregnancy, then I don’t know what would have happened ## National death rates Black women are 37% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, despite slightly lower rates of diagnosis. > The National Cancer Institute puts the breast cancer death rate at 25.9 per 100,000 non-Hispanic Black women, compared with 19.1 per 100,000 non-Hispanic white women ## Dr. Monique Gary's view Dr. Monique Gary says the gap between Black and white breast cancer patients is not one problem but a combination of social, healthcare access, behavioral and biological factors. > We talk a lot about early detection, but we don’t talk enough about what happens after detection ## Dr. Tiffany Troso-Sandoval's insight Dr. Tiffany Troso-Sandoval explains that delays between an abnormal mammogram and treatment have no single owner and affect Black women more. > The breakdown is almost never one dramatic error. It’s usually a series of small, reasonable-sounding decisions to wait, to delay ## Dr. Jacque Colbert's experience Dr. Jacque Colbert, 39, was diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in May 2008 after pushing for a mammogram despite initial dismissal by her doctor. > I refused to go away quietly ## The 'strong Black woman' stigma Dr. Colbert says the 'strong Black woman' stigma has followed her, making it harder for women without support to advocate for themselves. > I had a corporate job and a whole circle of women behind me, and I still had to fight to get a mammogram ordered ## Triple-negative breast cancer Black women are twice as likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. > Triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, is about twice as common in Black women ## Military health system study A 2025 review of women treated in the U.S. military health system found equal access alone may not close the racial gap in breast cancer deaths. > Black women are more likely to develop aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast cancer ## Financial barriers Many women face financial barriers to cancer care, including lost wages, transportation costs, and caregiving responsibilities. > When folks hear 'cancer,' most often, they think medical bills. But it’s also the rent, the light bill, groceries, gas to get back and forth to treatment ## Dr. Sheri Prentiss's story Dr. Sheri Prentiss, a 40-year-old physician, developed breast cancer-related lymphedema after treatment, ending her medical career but inspiring a foundation for cancer survivors. > Lymphedema taught me that surviving cancer and recovering from cancer are not the same thing ## What needs to change Experts say patients should know their cancer subtype, ask for genomic testing, and find out who coordinates their care. > A second opinion is not an insult to your doctor. At major medical centers, it’s routine ## Accountability gap The racial gap in breast cancer deaths has persisted despite knowing what needs to change because no one is accountable for the days between diagnosis and treatment. > The reason [the gap] has not closed nationally is not that we do not know what to do. It’s that no one is accountable for the days between the mammogram and the treatment ## The solution Experts call for systemic changes in healthcare to address the gaps in diagnostic follow-up, treatment access, and tumor biology that affect outcomes. > The story of Black women and breast cancer cannot continue to be one of disparities alone. It also has to become a story of accountability, innovation, access and survival ## Key takeaway Black women face a 37% higher breast cancer death rate than white women because of gaps in diagnostic follow-up, treatment access, and tumor biology.