According to a report from the American Cancer Society, there has been a 39% drop in breast cancer deaths between 1989 and 2015. At the same time, the organization found that white women were 39% more likely to survive breast cancer than African-American women. If the Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2017-2018 report is any indication, the trend is a constant one. Several explanations for it have been proposed, which should interest anyone in New York who has or knows someone who has this condition.

For example, black women tend to have limited access to healthcare due to poverty and lack of transportation. Though black women are more likely than white women to get regular mammograms, they often do not get preventive screenings, increasing the chances of death when breast cancer does arise. Racial discrimination in healthcare facilities may also play a role.

Geographically, the highest fatality rates were in the South-Central states, the Mid-Atlantic states and California. This may be due to state laws that discourage those without insurance from seeking out medical checkups and treatments. Even if the socioeconomic factors are set aside, science has shown that African-American women are more susceptible to triple-negative breast cancer, a form of cancer that is hard to treat.

This makes a proper diagnosis all the more important. Sometimes, women who take regular advantage of healthcare find out too late that they have breast cancer, and if they die because of delayed treatment, their families should know that they may have a case of medical malpractice on their hands. A lawyer can hire investigators to discover how and why the decedent’s physician failed to detect the cancer and even request an inquiry from the medical board. Once the evidence is prepared, the lawyer will proceed to negotiate a settlement.