Color or money?: The impact of socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity on breast cancer mortality

Background: Although the incidence of breast cancer is highest in White women, Black women die at a higher rate. Our aim was to compare the relative association between race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on breast cancer mortality. Methods: We identified female breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2007 - 2011 and followed through 2016 in the SEER database. Patients were grouped into socioeconomic quartiles by a prosperity index. The primary outcome of interest was 5-year cancer-specific survival. Results: A total of 286,520 patients were included. Five-year survival was worst for Black women compared to other races/ethnicities in each socioeconomic quartile. When compared to White women in the lowest quartile, Black women in the lowest quartile, 2nd quartile, and 3rd quartile experienced the lowest 5-year survival rates (Hazard ratio 1.33, 1.23, 1.20; P < 0.01). Conclusion: Regarding cancer mortality, only in the most prosperous quartile do Black women achieve a similar outcome to the poorest quartile White women.

Automated summary

Race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status have different impacts on the survival rate of breast cancer patients, with lower survival rates for Black women. Only in the most prosperous quartile do Black women achieve a similar outcome to the poorest quartile White women.