Social Class Determines Breast Cancer Survival
December 10, 2004
SAN ANTONIO (Ivanhoe Newswire) —Poorer women may be more likely to die of breast cancer, according to researchers from Switzerland.
The investigators presented the results of their study at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. They studied more than 3,000 breast cancer patients who were younger than 70.
Results of the study show patients of a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to develop breast cancer but were much less likely to die from the disease. On the other hand, patients of a low socioeconomic status had more than a 20-fold increased risk of dying from the disease.
Researchers say the patients in the study who were of a low socioeconomic status were more likely to be foreigners, were less likely to be frequently screened for cancer, and were less likely to receive treatment such as chemotherapy or surgery for their disease. However, even after researchers accounted for these factors, these patients still had an increased risk of dying from breast cancer.
Authors of the study conclude, Socioeconomic status is an independent risk factor for breast cancer mortality. We must consider patients of low socioeconomic status at increased risk to die of the disease and provide them with intensified support and surveillance.
SOURCE: Julie Monheim at the 27th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Dec. 8-11, 2004
