See Me, Hear Me: Racial Discrimination Among Women Seeking Breast Cancer Care

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Disparities
• Sociomedical Sciences

Background:

• Discrimination is linked to adverse health outcomes.
• The prevalence of discrimination among breast cancer patients is not well-documented.
• Understanding these experiences is crucial for improving cancer care equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and nature of discrimination experienced by women with stage I-III breast cancer.
• To compare discrimination experiences across racial and ethnic groups (Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic).
• To assess discrimination in both healthcare and everyday settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey design.
• Inclusion of 296 women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer.
• Data collection on self-reported discrimination in healthcare and daily life, stratified by race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

• Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women reported significantly higher levels of discrimination in everyday life compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Hispanic women (p<.001).
• NHB women experienced more frequent negative interactions in healthcare, including being ignored (23.7% vs. 5.6%), treated with less respect (21.1% vs. 7.3%), and less courtesy (18.7% vs. 6.2%) than NHW women (all P=<.001).
• NHB women face a greater burden of discrimination both within and outside the healthcare system.

Conclusions:

• Non-Hispanic Black women with breast cancer encounter substantially higher rates of discrimination.
• These findings underscore significant racial disparities in the breast cancer patient experience.
• Further research is essential to elucidate the impact of discrimination on breast cancer outcomes and inform targeted interventions.