Editor’s Note: This article is a part of an annual series of updates on research into cancer care for Black people impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers. It was most recently updated on February 4, 2026.
We know the data.
Black Breasties face different outcomes following cancer diagnoses than their white counterparts, with increased rates of more aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, like triple negative and inflammatory, and higher rates of mortality even as survival rates increase overall.
This World Cancer Day, The Peak is taking a dive into the research that examines why these disparities exist and what’s being done to improve outcomes for Black Breasties.
Right-Sized Conversations for Improved Care
Cancer care is not one-size-fits-all, so why should the conversations we have with our healthcare teams be?
One study by BreastCancerTrials.org and the Sisters Network Inc presented at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium highlighted the importance of tailoring conversations to the population to ensure optimal outcomes.
The joint study found that while 65 percent of their participants were at least somewhat familiar with clinical trials, less than half would join a trial if it were presented as an option.
Ethnic diversity in clinical trials is crucial because cancer can manifest differently among various populations. Appropriate representation in clinical trials ensures that the results of these trials can be safely applied to all populations or that all populations benefit from new treatments.
The researchers found that determining eligibility, finding trials, and knowledge of how trials work were some of the biggest barriers to increasing participation, and that “culturally competent, personalized navigation” could reduce these barriers.
RELATED: Meet the Breast Surgical Oncologist who Knows What it’s Like
Creating Pathways for Care
What could integrative cancer care designed specifically for Black populations look like?
Nonprofit organizations Unite for HER and The TOUCH Black Breast Cancer Care Alliance came together to review the results of their Care for HER program, which provided participating patients with free access to integrative therapies and “culturally tailored patient navigation by Black nurses and social workers who are also breast cancer survivors.”
The results were clear: 98 percent reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapies and services made available to them. In addition to 83 percent who reported that the program reduced “at least one aspect of financial strain,” many also said they felt better equipped to navigate the healthcare system and advocate for themselves.
The study of participants demonstrated the importance of culturally sensitive care and how tailoring patient navigation to the needs of specific populations can make a meaningful difference in their care and agency through treatment.
Psychological Safety in Cancer Care
Psychological safety – the feeling that a person can speak up, ask questions and be treated with respect – should be a foundational right to every single patient. Yet until recently, this concept has not been closely examined in cancer care for Black breast and ovarian cancer patients and their families.
In a new study researchers conducted interviews with socioeconomically diverse Black patients and family members to explore how race, past experiences, and structural inequities shape interactions with the healthcare system.
Participants described entering medical spaces on guard, influenced by personal and community histories of inequitable treatment. The sense of heightened vigilance often affected how safe patients felt asking questions or trusting providers.
Several factors were found to be important to fostering psychological safety, including clear and respectful communication, personalized care, and if possible – the same race or gender between patients and providers.
The study highlights psychological safety as a foundational component of equitable cancer care. By establishing environments where Black patients feel seen, heard, and supported, healthcare systems may improve not only patient experience, but also early screening, sustained engagement, and continuity of treatment.
RELATED: How Building Community Promotes Equitable Health Care for Black Breasties
The Cost of Being “Strong”
A cultural stereotype may be shaping cancer care and outcomes for Black patients.
The “Strong Black Woman” (SBW) stereotype, a way Black women have historically been forced to cope with racism and sexism, was examined in a new qualitative research published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. The study suggests that this expectation of strength comes at a cost when impacted by breast or ovarian cancer.
Researchers interviewed 61 Black patients with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer to better understand how this cultural narrative influenced their experiences.
Many participants described feeling pressure to remain outwardly strong throughout diagnosis and treatment — sometimes leading them to decline help or navigate care without adequate support.
Interview participants pointed to a paradox around the SBW stereotype: the same strength meant to protect them may also contribute to isolation, unmet needs, and ongoing disparities in cancer outcomes.
The study underscores the need for healthcare providers and researchers to be aware of this phenomenon in order to provide appropriate and adequate care to Black patients.
Identifying Common Gene Variants for Better Screening
Why might some Black people be more likely to develop aggressive breast cancers, like triple negative?
Researchers believe they have identified a genetic clue in what is thought to be the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) among this population to date.
Using data from the African Ancestry Breast Cancer Genetic Consortium, which gathered data from more than 40,000 females of African descent across 26 studies, researchers found 12 genetic loci— or locations within a genome—associated with breast cancer, including three related to triple negative breast cancer.
From there, they were able to find that people who have two genetic copies of risk variants in these three locations are 4.2 times more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer than those without.
This information, the researchers explain, can be used to improve screening, through the creation of polygenic risk scores (PRS) “for breast cancer risk in females of African descent.” A PRS is a calculation that can estimate someone’s lifetime risk of a disease. However, these calculations are limited by the data used to create them. Because of the information gathered by researchers in this study, they successfully developed a PRS that is more accurate for people of African descent.
In a 2025 publication also exploring the state of breast cancer genetics in African ancestry populations, researchers continue to emphasize the importance of increasing the representation in studies for a better understanding of breast cancer in these groups.
They also suggested that, in addition to genetic screening and the use of PRS to assess risk, incorporating individualized risk assessments into primary care follow-up could be one avenue for increasing mammography in historically underserved populations.
Social Drivers of Stress Responses
How do lived experiences and social stressors influence breast cancer in Black patients?
A study published in Nature examined cortisol levels in Black patients with breast cancer to understand how stress responses relate to social and clinical factors. Among 72 participants, findings revealed that those with hypertension were 6.84 times more likely to have high cortisol levels, and each additional negative life event increased the odds of high cortisol by 1.42 times.
The study builds on emerging research that links chronic stress exposure—especially socioeconomic and racial stressors—to dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. Given that cortisol dysregulation has been implicated in cancer progression, these findings underscore the need for a more holistic approach to cancer care. Addressing social determinants of health, such as economic strain and social isolation, may be just as critical as clinical interventions in improving outcomes for Black breast cancer patients.
The results also align with broader research on racial disparities in health, which shows that Black individuals experience a higher burden of chronic stress due to systemic inequities, which may contribute to worse health outcomes.
