How Atlanta is tackling appalling death rates of Black women with breast cancer

By Yvette Caslin
Jun 16, 2016
1:05 pm

Each day, approximately two African American women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Metro Atlanta. On May 25, Susan G. Komen hosted an "Atlanta Disparities Roundtable where leaders from local health, civic and government organizations and Susan G. Komen addressed the appalling breast cancer death rates for African American women in our community. Photo by Nikki Nickerson. — Each day, approximately two African American women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Metro Atlanta. On May 25, Susan G. Komen hosted an “Atlanta Disparities Roundtable where leaders from local health, civic and government organizations and Susan G. Komen addressed the appalling breast cancer death rates for African American women in our community. Photo by Nikki Nickerson.

SUSAN G. KOMEN® and Atlanta leaders participated in a roundtable to address the high breast cancer death rates for African American women. They include representative “Able” Mable Thomas, Georgia House of Representatives; commissioner Joan P. Garner, District 4 and Dr. April Speed, breast surgeon. During the roundtable, leaders from local health, civic and government organizations and Susan G. Komen explored recommendations and strategies to achieve health equity for African American women facing breast cancer in Atlanta.

Here are the facts:

African American women in the Atlanta area are more than 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than White women.
Each day, approximately two African American women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Metro Atlanta.
African American women in Metro Atlanta are nearly 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late stage breast cancer than other women in the US, and 25 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late stage breast cancer than other women in different parts of Georgia.

On May 25, Ebony Steele and Komen Atlanta board member Dr. April Speed joined Atlanta area leaders at Susan G. Komen’s Atlanta Disparities Roundtable to explore recommendations and strategies to achieve health equity for African-American women facing breast cancer in Atlanta. Photo by Nikki Nickerson.

Komen Atlanta is working hard to turn these numbers around through education and programming. They awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to 19 local healthcare organizations, which will address gaps and barriers to accessing breast health services, and support Komen Atlanta’s mission to enable the community to detect and survive breast cancer. This year, they’re continuing to expand their programming for high-risk populations, particularly African American women. Komen Atlanta reaches African American women through educational initiatives such as Worship in Pink (Atlanta’s faith-based community) and Sisters of Promise.

From left, Komen Atlanta board member Denise Billups, Ingrid Hall, Ph.D., CDC and Komen Atlanta board member Janice McKenzie-Crayton attended Susan G. Komen’s Atlanta Disparities Roundtable on May 25 at The Center for Civil and Human Rights to discuss the impact of breast cancer among African American Women in Atlanta. Photo by Nikki Nickerson.

Here’s activism in action:

Komen Atlanta’s Worship in Pink program invites Atlanta’s churches, mosques and synagogues to come together to spread the lifesaving message of breast cancer early detection. WIP is a program designed to open the lines of communication about breast health, promote breast cancer education and celebrate the lives of those who have fought against breast cancer.
Komen Atlanta’s “Sisters of Promise” campaign assembles powerful African American women in Metro Atlanta to raise awareness and funds to enable low income African American women to detect and survive breast cancer. Sisters of Promise focuses on communities that have the lowest breast cancer screening rates, the highest percentage of late stage breast cancer diagnosis, and the highest breast cancer mortality rates.