Disparities in cardiovascular disease mortality after breast cancer treatment: Methodological considerations using real-world data

Health disparities in breast cancer are complex and pervasive across the spectrum of the patient journey and range from unequal access to cancer screening and tools for cancer prevention, such as genetic testing, to racial differences in cancer survivorship. Compared with non-Hispanic White women, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancer and more aggressive cancer subtypes and to experience poorer overall quality of life and higher cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Minority patients with breast cancer often undergo more intense treatment with resulting inferior quality of life in survivorship, yet they still have a worse prognosis. Both biology and social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status and insurance status, contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Thus, to achieve cancer health equity, both factors must be addressed. (author introduction) #HES4A