Ladies—Black women specifically—we need to have several serious conversations. According to the American Cancer Society, overall breast cancer-related deaths have gone down by 44 percent between 1989 and 2023. This is largely due to scientific advances which have led to earlier diagnoses, more treatment options, and greater awareness of the disease. But Black women, as a group, aren’t seeing the same progress.

Not only are breast cancer death rates for Black women higher than those of their white counterparts across every stage, but Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at younger ages and with more aggressive tumor types.

Communities are coming together to focus on the health of Black women. As doctors and researchers try to understand the science behind these racial disparities, we can support and amplify their work by having some necessary conversations.

The Conversation Starts With Our Whole Health, Not Just Breast Cancer

Researchers believe that some factors impacting Black women’s likelihood of being diagnosed with breast cancer may be biological, although the underlying science is still being researched. What is understood is that specific comorbidities (two or more diseases that occur at the same time), such as obesity and diabetes, are more common among Black communities. A patient’s outcome may significantly worsen when comorbidities are present alongside a breast cancer diagnosis.

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A 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that comorbidities accounted for 11.3% of the higher death rate among Black women aged 18-64 compared to white women. It found that comorbidities accounted for 11.3 percent of the higher death rate in Black women. In fact, comorbidities are one of four key factors that may help explain survival differences among women with early-stage breast cancer.

Many factors that affect survival are complex. But understanding your overall health—and talking with your healthcare team about your personal and family health history—can help guide care decisions. Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits and keeping up with recommended checkups may also support your overall health.

Finding the Care You Need

In addition to the previously mentioned comorbidities, differences in insurance coverage are another key factor that may help explain the gap in stage at diagnosis in Black women battling breast cancer. The American Cancer Society cautions that being uninsured or underinsured can impact access to adequate healthcare facilities, which in turn can affect screening options, follow-up visits, and the ability to see a course of treatment through to completion.

But whether you’re insured, uninsured, or underinsured, the process of finding a care team that makes you feel comfortable and empowered can be challenging. One way to build a stronger relationship with your care team is by taking charge of the way in which we engage the healthcare system. That proactive approach can start with speaking with your doctor’s office about treatment plan options, insured and uninsured programs available, insurance carrier coverage options, and more. 

Having Someone In Your Corner Matters

If you receive a breast cancer diagnosis, the feeling can be overwhelming, especially when you may be managing other health conditions at the same time. So, don’t be afraid to tap a friend, relative, or partner—someone you feel safe sharing your questions or concerns with long before any decisions need to be made. Having a “partner in care,” so to speak, helps ensure that someone who understands your wishes is able to speak up on your behalf in the moments when you might not be able to.

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Resources may be out there to help you get the care and information you need to make decisions—even if they’re not always easy to find. Many hospitals and cancer centers offer financial assistance, patient navigation, or charity care programs to help with the cost of treatment. Local and national organizations can also help, offering breast cancer education, screening resources, and support services.

If you aren’t sure about what questions to ask, or you feel overwhelmed after an unexpected diagnosis, online resources and advocacy groups are there to help. This support matters most in the moments after hearing a diagnosis, the days right after you learn your illness has returned, or your symptoms have gotten worse.

If you have received a breast cancer diagnosis, it’s important to know that some companies may have assistance and resources to help you manage your care—emotionally and financially. National organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Black Breast Cancer Alliance often partner with local and regional groups to share information about free and low-cost screening options, ongoing studies, and resources that may impact your health outcomes. 

Taking It Back To The Essence Of Community Education

Science and medical communities may not fully understand the ways breast cancer impacts Black women specifically, but research efforts are underway. According to the American Cancer Society, there are a myriad of ongoing studies researching the ways genetic factors in Black women may affect the development of aggressive breast cancer subtypes, including metastatic breast cancer (mBC), and how socioeconomic realities may play a role in breast cancer outcomes.

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While medical communities and research organizations work to close the gap, we might need to borrow a few slogans from our parents’ and grandparents’ community efforts of years past in the meantime, especially “each one, teach one,” where the knowledge of one becomes the knowledge of others. The most powerful thing about gaining knowledge is the ability to pass it on. Don’t be afraid to share your experiences and resources with the women in your life. You can start with one conversation and progress as you feel comfortable. 

Each woman’s breast cancer journey may be different, but the path can seem less isolating when we work together. If you want to know more about your breast health or need support while navigating diagnosis and treatment, start with a single conversation. Then, you can take what you learn into your communities, to the doctor’s office, and home to discuss with family. In addition, TRODELVY® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy), a prescription medication used to treat certain forms of metastatic breast cancer (mBC), offers a range of resources for patients, including a customizable checklist of questions you can ask your doctor during appointments when discussing treatment options.

WHAT IS TRODELVY?

TRODELVY® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat:

  • Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and has spread to nearby tissues (locally advanced) or other parts of the body (metastatic).
    • As the first treatment:
      • alone when you are not a candidate for PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor-based therapy.
      • with the medicine pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph, when the tumors test positive for PD-L1.
  • Hormone Receptor (HR) positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) and has spread to nearby tissues (locally advanced) or other parts of the body (metastatic), and you received hormonal-based therapy and at least 2 more therapies throughout the body (systemic) for metastatic breast cancer.

It is not known if TRODELVY is safe and effective in children.

PD-1=programmed cell death protein 1, PD-L1=programmed death ligand 1

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

TRODELVY can cause serious side effects, including low white blood cell count and diarrhea:

  • Low white blood cell count (neutropenia) can be severe and lead to infections that can be life-threatening or cause death as early as the first cycle of treatment. Your healthcare provider should check your blood cell counts during treatment and may give a medicine to help prevent neutropenia starting in the first cycle of treatment if you have an increased risk for developing low white blood cell count with a fever (febrile neutropenia). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop any of the following signs of infection: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or burning or pain when you urinate.
  • Severe diarrhea can lead to loss of too much body fluid (dehydration) and kidney problems. Your healthcare provider should monitor you for diarrhea and give you medicine as needed to help control it. If you lose too much body fluid, your healthcare provider may need to give you fluids and electrolytes to replace body salts. If you develop diarrhea during your treatment with TRODELVY, your healthcare provider should check to see if it may be caused by an infection.
    • Tell your healthcare provider right away the first time that you get diarrhea during treatment with TRODELVY; if you develop black or bloody stools; if you develop symptoms of dehydration, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, or faintness; if you cannot take fluids by mouth due to nausea or vomiting; or if you cannot get your diarrhea under control within 24 hours.

If you develop serious side effects, your healthcare provider may treat you with certain medicines, delay treatment, lower your dose, or permanently stop treatment with TRODELVY.

Do not receive TRODELVY if you have had a severe allergic reaction to TRODELVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure.

Allergic and infusion-related reactions can be serious or life-threatening. These reactions are more common within 24 hours of receiving TRODELVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms during or at any time after your TRODELVY infusion: swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; hives; skin rash, itching, or flushing of your skin; fever; difficulty breathing or wheezing; lightheadedness, dizziness, feeling faint, or passing out; chills or shaking chills (rigors); chest pain.

Nausea and vomiting can be severe. Before each dose of TRODELVY, you will receive medicines to help prevent nausea and vomiting along with medicines to take home with instructions about how to take them. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop nausea or vomiting that is not controlled with the medicines prescribed for you.

Before receiving TRODELVY, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have been told that you carry a gene for UGT1A1*28, which can increase your risk of getting side effects with TRODELVY, especially low white blood cell counts, with or without a fever, and low red blood cell counts.
  • have liver problems. It is not known if TRODELVY is safe in people with moderate or severe liver problems.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. TRODELVY can harm your unborn baby. Your healthcare provider should check to see if you are pregnant before you start receiving TRODELVY. TRODELVY may cause fertility problems in females, which could affect your ability to have a baby. Talk to your healthcare provider if fertility is a concern for you.
    • Females who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 6 months after your last dose of TRODELVY. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control choices that may be right for you during this time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with TRODELVY.
    • Males with a female partner who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 months after your last dose of TRODELVY.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TRODELVY passes into your breast milk and can harm your baby. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 1 month after your last dose of TRODELVY.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Certain medicines may affect the way TRODELVY works and may increase your risk of side effects.

The most common side effects of TRODELVY when used alone include decreased white blood cell and red blood cell counts, nausea, diarrhea, feeling tired or weak, hair loss, increased sugar levels (glucose) in the blood, constipation, vomiting, decreased protein levels (albumin) in the blood, increased alkaline phosphatase in the blood, decreased appetite, stomach pain, decreased creatinine clearance, and decreased magnesium and potassium levels in the blood.

The most common side effects of TRODELVY when used with pembrolizumab include decreased white blood cell and red blood cell counts, diarrhea, nausea, feeling tired or weak, hair loss, increased alkaline phosphatase, sugar (glucose), and liver enzyme levels in the blood, constipation, rash, decreased potassium levels in the blood, increased lactate dehydrogenase levels in the blood, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, increased eosinophil levels in the blood, and decreased protein levels (albumin) in the blood.

These are not all of the possible side effects of TRODELVY. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRODELVY, including Important Warning.

The information in this article does not provide medical advice and does not substitute for clinical decision making. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only.

TRODELVY, the TRODELVY logo, GILEAD and the GILEAD logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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This content was created for Gilead as part of a paid partnership.