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Progress on breast cancer equity, but disparities linger
Data from Komen show the mortality gap narrowing in Atlanta between Black and white women.
Rebecca Grapevine
February 05, 2026 • Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Hi, Atlanta.
Today, I have a bit of good news to report.
While disparities between Black and white women’s breast cancer outcomes have not been erased, the gap seems to be narrowing, according to data from Komen. The organization, a large nonprofit focused on helping women with breast cancer and finding a cure, analyzed data about Black women’s mortality from breast cancer over a nine-year period, from 2014 to 2023, in the 10 cities with large disparities.
There was a 9.5% drop in mortality for Black women in Atlanta, and eight other cities also saw a drop.
Disparities in death rates between Black and white women decreased in Atlanta as well as five other cities, with Atlanta seeing a 13% decrease, the analysis found.
That’s good news, said Dr. Sonja Hughes, vice president of community health at Komen, but gaps still exist.
“It's still a disparity, which means 34% more will still die, as opposed to white women” in Atlanta, she said. “But there's improvement. So there's hope.”
Hughes said Komen set up programs with practices that treat breast cancer to train doctors and staff about cultural sensitivity in treatment and steps they could take to ensure Black women had access to clinical trials. They also worked with faith communities to train “ambassadors” who could educate their congregations about screening and treatment, a program called Worship in Pink.
The Komen data track national trends, said Jenny Spencer, a professor at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas Austin. Black and white women have seen declines in mortality rates since 2000, National Cancer Institute data show, although that rate has fallen faster for white women.
The decrease in mortality rates for Hispanic women of any race, however, has been much smaller than that for Black and white women.
Spencer said Komen’s efforts could have contributed to the decline, but other factors may be at play. Those include improved treatment options and Medicaid expansion in many states, though not in Georgia, which has been shown to improve timely treatment and outcomes for breast cancer.
You can review breast cancer screening guidelines, which vary by age and other factors, here.
Georgia’s public health department provides a free breast and cervical cancer screening program for low-income women. Researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine are working on a study to better understand why Black and Latina women may not use that program at the same rates white women do.
ICYMI
Here’s a recap of the latest reporting from Healthbeat:
The Grapevine 🍇
I interview Abigail Tighe at a gathering on Sunday. (Audrey Galex)
I spent a cozy Sunday evening interviewing Abigail Tighe, a co-founder of the National Public Health Coalition who was fired last year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a small gathering of Atlanta civic leaders.
Tighe said she is disappointed by many of the political changes made to the CDC since President Donald Trump retook office. But she and her colleagues are trying to use this moment to rebrand public health, improve how public health groups build trust with the public, and find ways to innovate. One way forward? Focusing on local trust-building, Tighe said.
What I’m hearing from readers:
Well done ... Dr. Foege [was] a giant among health care workers.
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Upcoming Events
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In health,
Rebecca
Thumbnail image by Audrey Galex
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