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Source: Marsha B. / Marsha B. (left to right: Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO of Black Women’s Health Imperative, Mary J. Blige, Grammy Award-winning artist, and Dr Arlene Richardson, chair of the Department of Radiology by Jackson Health Park)
Breast cancer is uprooting the lives of black women at a rapid rate. Statistically, breast cancer affects more women than any other cancer. It is also the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Among those diagnosed with the deadly disease, African American women have a 31% death rate – the highest of any ethnic group in the United States.
According to Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, “In women under 45, the incidence of breast cancer is higher in African American women than in white women. Much of this is because preventive care often takes a back seat. In a very open dialogue, the Grammy Award-winning artist Mary J. Blige, Dr. Arlene Richardson, chair of the radiology department at Jackson Park Health, and Linda Goler Blount, president and CEO of Black Women’s Health Imperative, frankly discuss the importance of early detection, preventative care and the importance to have open conversations with your family members about your family’s health history. Hosted by Hologic, the company behind the Genius® 3D mammography
review and the first Global Women’s Health Index, the Screening the System: A Dialogue on Stigma and Breast Health a roundtable encourages women of color to take better control of their health through preventive care.
Early detection saves lives. Although doctors know it, black women have become a victim because we don’t discuss the importance of preventive care, early detection, and our family history. According to Linda Goler Blount, the problem isn’t that cancer is attacking black women on a larger scale; is that by the time black women are diagnosed with cancer, it is too late. More people would survive a breast cancer diagnosis if it was caught earlier.
There are tons of disparities that contribute to the overly late diagnosis of black women. According to Dr. Arlene Richardson, access of low-income communities to such health screenings is rare. A person living from control to control is less likely to prioritize their health unless a problem is present. There is also a distrust that people in the black community have of the quality of care they receive from medical providers. The public health system carries the stigma of failing to manage the lives of black women. This can be proven when you examine a system that consistently misdiagnoses women of color and then denies them the same basic rights that are offered to our white counterparts. With this in mind, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on early detection and preventive care.
Part of early detection is discussing family health history with the women in your life. I will never forget the first time a doctor told me I had a lump on my breast. I was terrified. I ran to my mom and she said, “A doctor told me I have a buildup of calcium in my breasts, so they sometimes seem lumpy. My first thoughts were, “Why haven’t we discussed this before? My mom said she didn’t want to worry about me, but the truth is that my mom’s current health is a vague roadmap for my future health. After further testing it was determined that I also had a buildup of calcium in my breasts and that I was cancer free.
“Nobody talked about it in our families when we were younger. said Marie. “I didn’t know about breast cancer and mammograms until I was 40 and I was in the music business, and I was trying to take care of myself. My body started to speak and I started to listen. I discovered a mammogram at GYN. They don’t talk about it when they’re kids, ”she continued.
An open discussion on topics such as miscarriages, cancer diagnoses, foods, etc. can serve as a personal reference in your own health journey. Knowing the health of your family’s lineage will make you a better advocate in the doctor’s office. For reference, you can ask about preventive testing based on the health history of your siblings, parents, and grandparents.
Black women should be screened for breast cancer at age 40. For women under 40 like me, get a head start by planning for an early mammogram. My grandmother will be 90 in November and she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is the first person in my line to have this specific cancer. For me, that’s enough to become proactive about my health and reap the benefits of early detection.
As we move through Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take the time to stand up for yourself. Start with a home breast exam. Keep the momentum going by having an open conversation with the women in your life. What was their health journey? Is it similar to yours? How can you support each other? Finally, contact your primary care doctor and schedule a comprehensive physical exam that tests for all cancers, not just the breasts. Preventive care starts with you.
DO NOT MISS…
Mary J. Blige believes her aunt would have survived her battle with breast cancer had she been diagnosed earlier
Knowledge is power: 13 myths about breast cancer
Mary J Blige looked chic and laid back when screening The System: A Stigma Dialogue and Breast Health Panel Discussion
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