Widening disparity in survival between white and African‐American patients with breast carcinoma treated in the U. S. Department of Defense Healthcare system

In the U. S., age‐adjusted breast carcinoma mortality rates among white and African‐American women have been diverging during the last 20 years. Some investigators speculate that the widening disparity is due to inequalities in access to healthcare, with African Americans having less access to necessary healthcare and improved therapies. Others argue that differences in tumor biology or some extrinsic influences on cancer etiology and behavior may account for the widening disparity. To examine this issue further, the authors compared trends in survival among white and African‐American women diagnosed with breast carcinoma in the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD), an equal access healthcare system.

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