Breast Cancer Risk Assessments: What You Need to Know
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Do Race and Ethnicity Affect Breast Cancer Risk?

Do Race and Ethnicity Affect Breast Cancer Risk?

White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than Black, Hispanic, and Asian women. But Black women are more likely to develop more aggressive, more advanced-stage breast cancer that is diagnosed at a young age.
Written by |Reviewed by |Updated on June 15, 2026

Anyone can get breast cancer, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. But research shows there are some important differences in breast cancer types, age at diagnosis, and treatment access for some racial and ethnic groups. These differences are shaped by many factors, including genetics, family history, healthcare access, income, and discrimination in the medical system.

Breast Cancer Differences by Group 

Anyone can get breast cancer, but people of different races and ethnicities may face different risks of getting the disease.

  • White women have the highest rates of breast cancer compared to other women 

  • Black women have double the risk of getting diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype, compared to other groups  

  • People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are more likely to have BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations, which raise the risk of breast cancer 

  • Black men are more likely to get male breast cancer than other groups

Breast cancer rates are increasing at a higher rate for Asian American/Pacific Islander women (2.6% per year) and Hispanic women (1.6% per year) than other groups. Among Asian women living in the U.S., those born abroad have a higher risk of breast cancer than those born in the U.S.

 
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Why do women of color get late diagnoses? 

Screening contributes to unequal breast cancer outcomes. While white women have the highest risk of breast cancer, they’re more likely to have it caught early, before the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. When breast cancer is caught early, it’s easier to treat, which increases the chance of survival. Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women (sometimes referred to as American Indian/Alaska Native) are more likely to get a later-stage diagnosis, when the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs. 

Women of color may also face barriers that delay screenings and diagnoses, including unequal access to high-tech screening like 3D mammograms, lack of insurance, medical mistrust due to racism and discrimination in healthcare, transportation issues, and language barriers.

These factors may be why Native American and Hispanic women are less likely to get annual mammograms than women in other groups. And Black women are more likely to get a breast cancer diagnosis before ever getting a screening mammogram, prompting some researchers to advocate for lowering the screening age for Black women.    

Women of color may also get lower risk estimates, which could be another reason why they get late diagnoses. Risk assessment tools flag if someone has higher-than-average risk and could benefit from more intensive screenings. Most women don’t get these assessments, but women of color may get a less accurate result when they do. 

Breast Cancer Risk and Race

With guest Oluwadamilola "Lola" Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS, FACS

Sep 17, 2020Breast Cancer Risk

Lola Fayanju, MD, explains breast cancer risk assessment tools, why they might not accurately predict risk for Black women and women of color, and how these women can develop a screening plan with their doctors.

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Surviving breast cancer 

How long women live after a breast cancer diagnosis varies across racial and ethnic groups. Black women  are around 40% more likely to die from breast cancer compared to  white women, even though white women are more likely to be diagnosed with the  disease. Native American women also have a slightly higher chance of dying from the disease than white women. 

Part of the reason why is because Black women and Native American women are more likely to get diagnosed with an aggressive or advanced-stage cancer, which have lower survival rates. But Black women are also more likely to die of any breast cancer, no matter the stage or aggressiveness. This includes hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, “the type of cancer for which we have some of the best treatments,” said Lola Fayanju, MD, a breast surgeon at Penn Medicine, on The Breastcancer.org Podcast. 

The kind of care Black women get and how well they respond to treatment play a role, says Fayanju. But racial and ethnic minorities have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials, which means that the effectiveness of the drugs developed is uncertain in these groups of women. 

Resources 

While these inequalities are deep-rooted, there are organizations and groups that can support you through screenings, diagnosis, and treatment. You don’t have to go through this alone. 

Financial support 

If cost is a barrier to accessing breast cancer screenings, see if you qualify for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides free or low-cost screenings for people who make less than a certain income. Other organizations in your area may also be able to connect you with free or low-cost mammograms. 

And if you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, depending on your state and income level, you may qualify for specialized breast cancer care through Medicaid’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. Other resources for financial support are also available. 

Support groups 

If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, or just want to learn more about the risks specific to your community, there are organizations that can help.