The reasons behindthe racial disparitiesthat surround the disease vary but largely come down to inequities in health care access.
Thats why, unfortunately, Black people often need to advocate for themselves to get the care they deserve.
Reach out to family members, friends, and peers for support.
Amika Cooper
You may needchemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery, so it can be a long time.
Treatment is already toughbut going through it alone is even tougher.
TheAmerican Cancer SocietyandBreastCancer.orgalso offer support groups.
Understanding your own breast cancer diagnosisis a good starting place.
Dont be afraid to find a new doctor if you dont feel heard.
Of course, finding a doctor you enjoy working with isnt always an easy process.
One of the things I love about my care team is that I felt really comfortable with them.
They were super responsive to my questions.
Get a second professional opinion if you’re able to.
If you have limited local access to health care in your area, consider using telehealth services.
Some hospitals offer virtual second opinions too.
Ask what kind of patient services your hospital or treatment center provides.
So typically, patients will be coming in every two to three weeks for treatment.
In that interim, life still goes on.
They still have needs, they still have questions, so a nurse navigator connects with them.
Our nurse navigator is here whenever a patient needs them.
The hospital provides employees with work phones and patients have that number, Rahat explains.
They can call and say, Hey, Im in pain and not feeling well.
Is this something that I should be experiencing?
We prioritize calls like that and pass that message on to their provider.
But language barriers shouldnt prohibit anyone from getting cancer care.
Ask about financial assistance programs.
Another major barrier for some Black women with breast cancer is the financial cost, Dr. Oppong says.
In addition to being emotionally and physically taxing, treatment can be very expensive, to say the least.
Generally, you could connect with these counselors through the patient services team at your hospital or treatment center.
Some drug companies also have what we call a patient assistance program, Rahat says.
TheMercy Medical Angelsalso offer transportation to people who need to travel for their treatment.
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis isnt easy, especially for Black people.
