My Sister Died of Breast Cancer During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In case you didn’t know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Black women and the second most common cause of death among Black women, surpassed only by lung cancer.

It is also how my 34 year-old sister passed away just three days ago. Words I never thought I would say.

She had triple negative breast cancer. Her mom also died young from breast cancer, which put her at an even higher risk of developing it herself.

“Black women have the lowest survival rate for every known stage of breast cancer, reflecting less access to high-quality care, as well as a higher likelihood of triple-negative disease.” – American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024-2025

Black women aged 20 to 39, before they even reach the recommended screening age of 40, are more likely to develop breast cancer compared to younger women of other racial and ethnic groups. Black women are, unfortunately, disproportionately affected by more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with TNBC compared to white women aged 20 to 44, and at more advanced stages of the disease.

The prognosis of breast cancer, including triple-negative, depends on factors such as what stage the patient was diagnosed and whether the disease has spread to the lymph nodes or other locations in the body (triple-negative breast cancer metastasis), which is what happened in my sister’s case. TNBC tends to be more aggressive and there are fewer targeted treatment options, mostly because large-scale genetic studies of breast cancer to date have focused on women of European ancestry. Because of these circumstances, it often has a worse prognosis than more common types of breast cancer.

“Breast cancer mortality has been declining dramatically for the past 40 years, so we have figured out as a society how to improve breast cancer outcomes overall. Now, we have to focus on how to apply what we’ve learned to improve survival for Black women.

Clinical trials are important because this is where we investigate the newest therapies. Making sure that these therapies are equally effective in Black women and other minority populations is crucial.” – Why Black Women Have a Higher Risk of Dying of All Types of Breast Cancer Than White Women: A Conversation With Erica T. Warner, ScD, MPH

Beyond Biology

We can obviously see biology plays a role in the huge disparity between Black women and White women when it comes to breast cancer diagnosis, however, other factors matter, too. A meta-analysis has found that socioeconomic inequality, delays in diagnosis, and inadequate access to timely quality treatment resulting from systemic racism also play a significant role. 

“Black women have an increased risk of more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, which may be partially explained by historical and institutionalized racism. Black women, for example, are twice as likely as White women to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive subtype of the disease. Studies found the risk of ER- breast cancer was higher for Black women born in the states that practiced legalized racism in the form of Jim Crow laws (from about 1870 to 1964) compared to Black women born in other states.” – Breast Cancer Prevention Partners: Race, Power, and Inequities

Black women are statistically more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and are less likely to breastfeed after childbirth, which are all risk factors for breast cancer. They are also more likely than white women to have inadequate health insurance or access to health care facilities, which may affect screening, follow-up care, and completion of therapy.

What You Can Do

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or are at risk for breast cancer, here are some things you can do, courtesy of Keep a Breast:

• Be your own advocate: Do your research and educate yourself on how to prevent and/or survive breast cancer. It’s your life and you have to fight for it.
• Know your patient rights: Be in charge of your health. Work with doctors who are willing to participate in a decision-making collaboration with you.
• Know your breasts: Make sure to do your breast self-checks every month. By doing this, you can “know your normal.”
• Get screened: Mammograms are still effective in determining breast cancer. Make sure to stay up to date on physicals and screenings. It is now recommended that women get screened beginning at age 40.
• Know your family history: Talk to your relatives about your family’s health history, especially since women who have a family history of breast cancer are considered high-risk and you may be advised to undergo a mammogram sooner than 40.
• Join a breast cancer support group: Breast cancer groups can be an insightful and motivating resource while going through breast cancer treatment. 

More Research

If you wish to help improve the research surrounding Black women and breast cancer, check out Voices of Black Women, a study led by the American Cancer Society.

Sources:

1. American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024-2025
2. What causes breast cancer at a young age? How research is tackling the rise in younger women – January 17, 2025
3. Black Women and Breast Cancer: Why Disparities Persist and How to End Them
4. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Treatment, Research
5. Gene variants and breast cancer risk in Black women: National Institutes of Health – June 4, 2024
6. Why Black Women Have a Higher Risk of Dying of All Types of Breast Cancer Than White Women: A Conversation With Erica T. Warner, ScD, MPH
7. Breast Cancer Prevention Partners: Race, Power, and Inequities
8. Keep a Breast: Black Women & Breast Cancer

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