“Women are learning about breast cancer types and doctors are as well, and treatments are being done that are more effective,” Richardson said.
Screening has also played a role. “The earlier you find cancer, the more treatable it is,” she said.
In addition, better access to care may be a factor, but that won’t be known for some time, Richardson said. “We hope over time, as access continues to improve, these rates will continue to drop,” she said.
“If you are screened for cancer, understand that the next step is — if it’s abnormal — to get a diagnosis, and if it is cancer get the proper treatment,” Richardson said. “It really is a continuum of screening — it’s not just one test.”
The report was released online Oct. 13 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Dr. Jacqueline Miller is medical director of the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. “The good news is that overall rates of breast cancer are decreasing among black women,” she said in a statement.
“However, when compared with white women, the likelihood that a black woman will die after a breast cancer diagnosis is still considerably higher,” Miller said.