Congressional Lawmakers Call On HHS To Address Alarming Disparities In Breast Cancer Care For Black Women; Hispanics Rally To “Dump Trump” As SNL Host
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Last week, the American Cancer Society released an alarming study that revealed deadly new disparities among Black women in breast cancer care and medical treatment.
Now, two California Democratic congressional leaders, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee, are calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the findings that show the incidence of breast cancer among Black women is equal to that of White women for the first time in recent history.
Indeed, it has long been known that breast cancer is deadlier in Black women than in White women, but at least it was not as common. Now, the prevalence is equal among both races and shows no signs of easing up.
Not only that, Black women tend to experience a more perilous form of breast cancer and doctors often fail to administer the same standard of care and treatment as they do for White women, the report shows.
“We are sure you are aware of the troubling study released last week by the American Cancer Society regarding rising rates of breast cancer among black women,” Sen. Boxer and Rep. Lee wrote in a letter Wednesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell that was obtained by NewsOne.
“The researchers wrote, ‘Although the overall breast cancer incidence rate is slightly lower in black women than in white women, the breast cancer death rate is 42 percent higher in blacks than in whites,’” the letter continues. “This is partially due to black women being disproportionately diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancers, which currently lack targeted therapies for treatment.”
Reasons for the rise in disparities of breast-cancer treatment among Black women are varied and complex, but researchers cite several possible reasons, including a jump in obesity rates, and diets low in healthy fruits and vegetables. Changing reproductive patterns may also play a role, as more Black women delay child-birth and have fewer children, the report says, noting that both are identified as risk factors for breast cancer.
“Given these alarming facts, how do the public health and research institutes at the Department of Health and Human Services plan to identify the reasons for this increase, discover why the mortality rates are so high in this community and ultimately, reverse this devastating trend?” the congressional leaders ask in the letter.
The HHS did not respond to NewsOne’s request for comment to the letter by deadline.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO CREDIT: Inform
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Hispanics Rally To “Dump Trump” As Host Of SNL
At 6 p.m. today, members of the League of United Latin American Citizens and other Latino organizations will hold a protest in front of Rockefeller Center in an effort to convince NBC to bar real estate mogul Donald Trump from hosting this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live.
Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, came under heavy criticism this summer from civil rights leaders after he referred to undocumented Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “murderers.” Despite the outcry, Trump remains ahead of his competitors and was invited by SNL to host an upcoming episode.
“Trump’s remarks on the campaign trail have characterized immigrants as rapists, drug dealers, and murderers, which have contributed to real instances of violence against Latinos,” Paloma Zuleta, LULAC communications director, said in a statement to NewsOne. “We urge those who want to help us deliver the message to join us” in reminding “Saturday Night Live and Trump that racism under any guise will not be tolerated.”
The group plans to use the hashtags #RacismIsntFunny and #DumpTrump on social media.
While Trump, who is stumping in New Hampshire, has yet to tweet a response about the rally, his supporters are sticking up for him.
Do you think the protest will help block Trump as host of SNL? Sound off in comments below…
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO CREDIT: Inform
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