State of Breast Cancer report.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, recognized as the global leader in the breast cancer movement published the State of Breast Cancer report, a first-ever, reader-friendly snapshot-in-time of where the United States and the global community are in the quest to end breast cancer forever.

Written for readers who have an interest in breast cancer but no formal background in the biology of the disease, the State of Breast Cancer report provides information on advancements in diagnosis, treatment and research that have made breast cancer a survivable disease for more than 2 million people in the United States. But the news is not all good. The report also explores cultural, social, educational and financial barriers – or disparities – that prevent many people from getting screening and receiving life-saving breast cancer care.

“Komen’s goal was to produce a report that gives people understandable information about breast cancer and reminds them that this battle is far from over,” said Eric P. Winer, M.D., Komen’s chief scientific advisor. Komen issued the report in part because of concern that there may be complacency on the part of some and a false sense among many Americans that breast cancer is under control and no longer a major threat to a woman’s life. Said Winer, “Too many people – particularly people of certain ethnic and racial minorities and those with little or no health insurance – still die needlessly of breast cancer.”

Along with statistics and information about the biology of the disease and treatment approaches, the State of Breast Cancer report provides practical ways for people to engage in the breast cancer movement. An extensive breast cancer resource list and a glossary of terms are included.

“The State of Breast Cancer will surprise and upset many readers. People who get upset are usually inspired to take action, and that is what we hope readers will do,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Written for Everyday Readers

Prior to producing the report, Komen conducted extensive research to find out if a report like the State of Breast Cancer was available. Existing reports were written for physicians and researchers, and their language was hard for everyday people to understand.

In addition to providing breast cancer information for patients, activists, family members and caregivers, this status report on breast cancer is also intended to help members of the media and public policymakers understand the basic characteristics of the disease, the ways it is detected, how it is treated and survived and the reasons why members of specific population groups die of breast cancer in disproportionate numbers, despite medical treatment that could save their lives.

Milestones, But Miles to Go

From a timeline that pinpoints major milestones in the global breast cancer movement, the report moves into an overview of screening and treatment advances and then quickly segues into healthcare disparities information that most readers will find surprising. For example:

— Despite all the medical advancements that have been made, just over 40,000 people — roughly the population of Grand Rapids, Mich., will die of the disease in the U.S. this year.

— African American women have a 35 percent higher breast cancer death rate than Caucasian women even though they are less likely to get breast cancer.

— Only 38 percent of Hispanic women age 40 or older have regular mammograms.

— For uninsured women, the risk of dying from breast cancer increases by 30 to 50 percent.

The centerpiece of the publication is the breast cancer mortality report, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure and published in April 2006. Under the direction of Dr. Harold Freeman, president and founder of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in New York, the study focused on eight U.S. communities plagued with high death rates from breast cancer. Its goal was to find the common issues that lead to disparities in those areas. Findings from the report include the following:

— Washington, D.C. has the highest breast cancer death rate of any city in the country, due in part to healthcare access challenges and long waits for screening and follow-up care.

— Budget shortfalls threaten the cancer control programs in Michigan. Throughout the U.S., limitations of breast cancer legislation enable many states to deny treatment to women who need it, simply based on where they were initially screened.

— Although breast cancer deaths among Caucasian women in Chicago have decreased, more African American women in the city are dying of the disease. Many low-income women in Chicago had gone to a single public hospital for screening and treatment because it provided free care, but screenings are no longer offered there.

Domestic and Global Challenges

The State of Breast Cancer report introduces readers to additional challenges that slow the progress toward delivery of the cures, including the lack of a standardized and nationwide system to preserve and archive tissue samples; difficulties associated with recruiting people of all races and ethnicities for clinical trials; budget cuts that affect the momentum of research; lack of data sharing among scientists and the slow path of research advancements from the laboratory to the bedsides of patients.

The report provides a glance at global breast cancer statistics and disparities. Compounding the problem is a lack of reliable data in many countries and the lack of education and long-standing cultural barriers that stand in the way of early detection and treatment for breast cancer. For example:

— Africa has the highest death rate from breast cancer in world, partially because early detection is rare. Ninety-five percent of women in Kenya have never had a clinical breast examination and screening mammography is virtually non-existent in that country.

— In many countries, screening is not part of the culture and indeed, ‘looking’ for disease is a completely alien concept.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker provides a foreword for the 36-page report. In it, she says, “This first-ever State of Breast Cancer report is guided by the simple truth that has inspired Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the past 25 years: Every one of us has the opportunity—in fact, the responsibility—to help save lives today and, ultimately, end this disease forever. You’re not holding just another report—you’re holding a roadmap, a detailed plan for action.”

The State of Breast Cancer report is available in PDF form by visiting http://www.komen.org/sobc2007>.