RELATED MEDICAL ISSUES RIGHT NOW! #5: RACIAL DISPARITIES IN ALZHEIMER’S AND BREAST CANCER SCREENING AND TREATMEN

From the first moment my wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…From the first moment I discovered my dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it seemed like I was alone in this ugly place. Even ones who had loved ones suffering in this way; even though people TALKED about the disease, it felt for me like they did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…

The immediate crisis that was Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s have passed. There are, however ancillary issues like testing and treatments that may not be directly related to BC or A but intersect with them. Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Racial and Socioeconomic Effects on Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment.

If we just take a moment to look at the world today, and the racial and socioeconomic disparities (= MAJOR differences) in how black, Latino, and Asian people are both tested for COVID-19; treated for COVID-19; and how they have been neglected in outreach by cities, states, and the Federal government – and it’s easy to imagine that the same major difference would exist in the screening and treatment for breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The research would easily bear out that assertion – IOW, it’s totally true. Black, Latino, and Asians have neither received the same screening opportunities nor the same treatment for breast cancer and Alzheimer’s when compared to whites.

Below you’ll find links to some of the research – and my translating comments – regarding this frustratingly common issue.

“Among the 55 678 breast cancer screenings in April to December 2019: 45,572 patients were White (about 82 percent); 54,620 patients lived in cities (98 percent), and 22 761 had their own insurance (41 percent).

“From 2019 to the same period in 2020, only half of the people who had the year before were screened! From 2019 to 2020 for women there were 64 percent fewer Hispanic who came in for BC screening. 61 percent less American Indian/Alaska Native women came in for BC screening. 55 percent fewer Asian women came in, and 54 percent less Black women were screened. The number of white women only dropped by 49 percent. Women living outside of the big cities came even LESS than city women. Finally, women who self-paid for treatment and who were insured by Medicaid experienced the largest reduction in screening.” In brief, poor women and indigenous women of color got screened for breast cancer, during COVID-19, less than their white counterparts. Those worst off? Women without insurance who lived in the country.

It MUST be different for Alzheimer’s, right? All cultures respect their elders and want to take care of them!

“Findings from two national surveys appearing in the Alzheimer’s Association report reveal that…more than 36 percent of Black Americans, 18 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 19 percent of Asian Americans (19%) believe that discrimination would be a barrier to receiving Alzheimer’s care.”

Worse still, “In addition, half or more of non-White caregivers say they have experienced discrimination when navigating health care settings for their care recipient.” This I can attest to witnessing myself. BOTH of my parents and the white care staff at the facility my parents stayed in as they deteriorated from complications of congestive heart failure (Mom) followed by age-related dementia; and Dad, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years before he died…behaved in the way cited by the study. (Linked below)

As a rule, “…health and socioeconomic disparities and systemic racism contribute to increased Alzheimer’s and dementia risk in communities of color. According to the report, older Blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately more likely to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In addition, both groups are more likely to have missed diagnoses than older Whites.”

Perhaps the saddest statistic I came across while reading these is this: “More than one-third of Native Americans and nearly 3 in 10 Hispanics do not believe they will live long enough to develop Alzheimer’s or another dementia."

Wow…outside of the white community, we have a long, long way to go in learning how to deal with Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s issues…

Resources: https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/index.html , https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures-special-report.pdf, [A website specifically targeted to Black women and breast cancer]: https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/index.html,
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2780067, https://www.alz.org/news/2021/new-alzheimers-association-report-examines-racial
Image: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zsbWK9QgLFjUJwawbWaYnW-970-80.jpg.webp