What is the prevalence of breast cancer in the Hispanic/Latino community?
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. About 70 per 100,000 Hispanic women are afflicted with breast cancer every year, but these rates are lower than in Caucasian and African-American populations. We don't know exactly why this is. There may be some protective factors that Latina women have, but also, Hispanic women are sometimes counted as White or African American, so there is some concern that the rates of breast cancer in this community are not being appropriately counted.
Is it true that Hispanic/Latino women with breast cancer are often diagnosed at later stages?
Yes. They put off coming in for early detection and screening, so when they do come in at this later stage, the tumors are much larger and are very difficult to treat.
What are some of the obstacles in getting Hispanic/Latino women screened?
Education about the importance of breast cancer screening is a major obstacle in this population. There have been very few bilingual education programs that are reaching this community. There is also a lack of insurance in this population, which presents another barrier. Often, screening is not covered in their primary insurance, or they simply don't have insurance. Often, Hispanic people don't qualify for insurance. They may have two part-time jobs, neither of which provides insurance.
