Explores link between breast cancer and low-income women

October 11, 2007
Contact: Jessica Levinson, Communications Director
215-893-9000 x129

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Low-income women in both developing nations and wealthier countries are most likely to be diagnosed with or die from breast cancer, according to a new white paper recently released by Soroptimist, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women headquartered in Philadelphia.

“Breast Cancer and Low-Income Women” provides an in-depth look at the correlation between breast cancer and poverty and is being made public on the Soroptimist website (www.soroptimist.org) in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. More than 1.1 million women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, with the disease claiming at least 500,000 lives.

“Women who comprise the vast majority of people living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to health disparities,” states Leigh Wintz, Soroptimist’s executive director. “Breast cancer is an example of a disease that needlessly claims the lives of thousands of poor women in low- and high-income countries alike.”

Hardest hit are low-income women in poorer nations. The white paper finds that “75 percent of global deaths attributed to breast cancer occur in the developing world.” The higher fatality rates in low-income countries are due to “lack of financial resources, health education and access to preventive procedures and appropriate treatments—not only for breast cancer, but for all health issues.”

High fatality rates, however, also occur among low-income women in wealthier countries, the paper continues. In the United States, one out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. In Canada, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with one in nine women diagnosed in her lifetime and one in 27 dying from the disease. Contributing factors include, among others, unaffordable health insurance and limited access to treatment.

“Around 80 percent of breast cancer patients in developing countries suffer from advanced and incurable cancers at the time of diagnosis, as do the majority of low-income patients in wealthy nations such as the United States and England,” adds Wintz, who recently had her own battle with ovarian cancer, which was caught early and treated at a top U.S. hospital. “Women who aren’t fortunate like me to have good health insurance and access to quality medical care are denied a fundamental human right. This also takes an immeasurable toll on families around the world who depend on their wives and mothers.”

Recommendations include affordable early detection measures, such as clinical breast exams and mammography, as well as public awareness programs to drastically improve the odds of survival. This is likely to have the greatest overall benefit in terms of breast cancer control among low-income women worldwide.

“What is most needed is a shift in perspective around this issue, which would be a drastic step toward improving the lives of low-income women worldwide,” states Wintz.

Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization, offers programs that improve social and economic conditions for women and girls. Programs include the Women’s Opportunity Awards, which provides cash grants for head-of-household women seeking to improve their lives with the help of additional education and training. Each year, more than $1 million is disbursed through this award-winning program. In recognition of the power of women and their dreams, Soroptimist also sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign. Visit the campaign's online home at: <www.liveyourdreamcampaign.org>. Visit Soroptimist’s main site at <www.soroptimist.org> to learn more about the organization and its work on behalf of the world’s women and girls.

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