Exploring the Link Between Lack of Neighborhood Opportunity and Breast Cancer Mortality

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. Access to quality healthcare plays a pivotal role in detection, diagnosis and treatment. A new study from researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) explores the link between neighborhood opportunity, allostatic load (chronic stress and “wear and tear” on the body), and breast cancer outcomes in more than 4,000 patients.

The key findings include:

• Lower neighborhood opportunity was associated with higher “wear and tear” and worse all-cause mortality

• Patients with high “wear and tear” living in neighborhoods with poorer environmental conditions (for example poor walkability or pollution) experience even greater risks of all-cause mortality, compared to those living in more favorable environments.

Researchers say future studies should focus on interventions at the neighborhood and individual level to address socioeconomically based disparities in breast cancer.

DocWire News spoke with Dr. Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, a surgical oncologist with the OSUCCC, and corresponding author of the study, to discuss how social factors can impact outcomes in breast cancer patients.

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