born in the US, East Africa, West Africa, or the Caribbean.
Compared with the prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer among black women born in the US, black women born in:
-West Africa had similar rates to black women born in the US
-The Caribbean had a 13% lower prevalence
-East Africa had a 47% lower prevalence
There wasn’t enough data to analyze the prevalence rates of black women born in North, Central, or South Africa. This is one of the few studies to examine how place of birth relates to black women’s risk of breast cancer.
It’s not clear what risk factors for developing breast cancer may be associated with birthplace. The differences could be due to genetics. Most black women born in the US or in the Caribbean are likely descendants of people who were involuntarily migrated from West Africa to North America during the 16th to 18th centuries, often through the Caribbean.
Ancestry studies among black people living in Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina reflect the historic migration. Ancestry in those places is 71% Western African. The differences could also be due to