Another study shows breast cancer kills more black women

One thing I've learned on this journey with breast cancer is that disease can be a great equalizer in many aspects. Breast cancer strikes men and women, old and young, rich and poor. It doesn't leave anyone out. However, how it strikes and how hard it strikes can be more devastating to particular communities and in ways that are difficult to explain.

I won't stop blogging about my journey with breast cancer because women like me are diagnosed every day with this disease. We may not be affected as often as older, white women... but we are definitely affected. My hope is that my blog and my efforts to speak out about this disease and my experiences with it will reach each woman who sees me and sees herself as well. In some areas of the breast cancer community, I often feel like the odd step-sister. I feel that way because when it comes to incidences of breast cancer, women like myself (diagnosed under 45, African-American) represent a small piece of the story. Yet, we're most likely to die from the disease. In 2011, an estimated 26,000 black women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and about 6,000 black women will die from this disease. Compare that with over 230,000 cases of breast cancer overall and 39,000 deaths overall. We are affected and though we are a small percentage of overall cases, this disease does take a huge toll on our community.

Another study has emerged that shows that black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than other women with the disease. There was a thought that the reason why black women and Latina women had higher mortality rates was because they weren't as likely to receive radiation treatment for their breast cancer. But this new study shows that radiation treatment isn't the great equalizer for sistas like myself. Even with radiation treatment, we're still more likely to die from this disease.

It pains my heart to learn this.

I went through WEEKS of radiation therapy. I was subjected to 5 treatments per week for 7 and a half weeks. That is a long damn time. Radiation therapy is unpleasant. Well, the actual treatment isn't that bad. It only takes a few moments to be zapped with the light and then you're done. What makes it unpleasant is that the treatment has a cumulative effect. Each week is worse than the week before. And by the end of the treatment, your skin and your body are still suffering from the effects of the treatment weeks later. It sucks your energy, leaving you lethargic and fatigued... it burns your skin. And I don't mean burn like a mild sunburn... I mean burn, as in charred like a hot dog on a hot grill. It makes you puffy and swollen. It hurts. Its ugly. Its super painful and its scary. But to learn that all of that pain and torture, doesn't actually reduce my likelihood to die from this disease just makes me sad.

I went through radiation therapy in 2009. It is now 2011 and I still have scarring from my radiation treatment that hasn't gone away. I am starting to believe that I may always have this discolored patch of skin on my chest and on my neck. Just another battle scar I suppose.  Another bit of evidence that I made it through.

I can only pray and hope that scientists and researchers are still looking for ways to cure this disease. And while they are searching for a cure, hopefully they will continue to discover ways to make the treatment more tolerable.

Source:  http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/breast-cancer-kills-more-black-women/

http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/RaceampEthnicity.html