Age distributions of breast cancer diagnosis and mortality by race and ethnicity in US women

Abstract

Background: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from 1973-2010 have been used to show that minority women have disproportionately higher percentages of breast cancers diagnosed at younger ages in comparison with White women.

Methods: The authors analyzed SEER 21 invasive breast cancer incidence data for 2014-2017 and National Center for Health Statistics mortality data for 2014-2018 and compared invasive incidence and mortality by age in non-Hispanic Black (NH-Black), Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Native American, and Hispanic women with those in non-Hispanic White (NH-White) women. They evaluated incidence rates and percentages of invasive breast cancer cases and breast cancer deaths occurring before the age of 50 years along with advanced-stage incidence rates and percentages in minority women versus NH-White women.

Results: Recent SEER data showed that invasive breast cancers were diagnosed at significantly younger ages in minority women versus NH-White women. Among women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, compared with NH-White women, minority women were 72% more likely to be diagnosed under the age of 50 years (relative risk [RR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-1.75), 58% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer under the age of 50 years (RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.55-1.61), and 24% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage (regional or distant) breast cancer at all ages (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.23-1.25). Among women dying of breast cancer, minority women were 127% more likely to die under the age of 50 years than NH-White women.

Conclusions: NH-Black, AAPI, Native American, and Hispanic women have higher proportions of invasive breast cancers at younger ages and at advanced stages and breast cancer deaths at younger ages than NH-White women.

Lay summary: This study analyzes the most recently available data on invasive breast cancers and breast cancer deaths in US women by age and race/ethnicity. Its findings show that non-Hispanic Black, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Hispanic women have a higher percentage of invasive breast cancers at younger ages and at more advanced stages and a higher percentage of breast cancer deaths at younger ages than non-Hispanic White women.

Keywords: breast cancer; early detection of cancer; female; incidence; minority groups; mortality; screening mammography.