Breast cancer is deadlier for Black women. A study of mammograms could help close the gap

Are 3D mammograms better than standard 2D imaging for catching advanced cancers?

- Carla K. Johnson

A clinical trial is recruiting thousands of volunteers — including a large number of Black women who face disparities in breast cancer death rates — to try to find out.

People like Carole Stovall, a psychologist in Washington, D.C., have signed up for the study to help answer the question.

"We all need a mammogram anyway, so why not do it with a study that allows the scientists to understand more and move closer to finding better treatments and ways of maybe even preventing it?" Stovall said.

The underrepresentation of women and minorities in research is a long-simmering issue affecting health problems, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and COVID-19. Trials without diversity lead to gaps in understanding how new treatments work for all people.

"Until we get more Black women into clinical trials, we can't change the science. And we need better science for Black bodies," said Ricki Fairley, a breast cancer survivor and advocate who is working on the issue.

Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women and tend to be diagnosed younger. But it's not clear whether 3D mammography is better for them, said Dr. Worta McCaskill-Stevens of the National Cancer Institute.

"Are there populations for whom this might be important to have an early diagnosis?" asked McCaskillStevens. "Or is it harmful," causing too many false alarms or unneeded follow-up tests and treatments?