"How did I feel after learning I had breast cancer? A feeling of loneliness,” says Maria Torres, a resident of Buffalo, New York and breast and cervical cancer survivor.
Cancer Disparities
“I didn’t think I was going to make it, so it’s really about my life today and how cancer makes a difference in a person’s life,” said Thomasina Holmes, a thriving lung cancer survivor who credits Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for saving her life.
“How did I feel after learning I had breast cancer? A feeling of loneliness,” said Maria Torres, a resident of Buffalo, New York and breast and cervical cancer survivor.
The incidence of breast cancer increases with age and is highest among white women. However, African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other group.
A large collaborative study provided new, stronger evidence that women can reduce their risk of aggressive forms of breast cancer by breastfeeding their babies.
In honor of Black History Month, I want to educate African Americans on the inequities that exist in health care treatment with the hope of inspiring change. Patients need to take a proactive approach to their health care and demand equality.