Parkland bridging the gap for equity in breast health
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Many people wear pink ribbons as a sign of hope and strength during October to raise awareness for breast cancer and breast health. It may not be pink, but Parkland Health’s purple “mammo van,” or mobile mammography unit, aims to provide hope, strength, screenings and care to Dallas County communities that have a higher incidence of breast cancer. In addition to the mobile unit, Parkland is sponsoring two major breast health and wellness expos in October.
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Racial disparities in breast cancer also persist throughout the United States. Before 1980, breast cancer mortality was slightly lower among Black women than among white women, according to the National Cancer Institute. More recently, age-adjusted breast cancer mortality is about 40% higher among Black women than among non-Hispanic white women (27.7 vs. 20.0 deaths per 100,000 women from 2014 through 2018), despite a lower incidence among Black women (125.8 vs. 139.2 cases per 100,000 women).
According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), the gap for equity in breast health is complex and multifactorial. Social, economic and behavioral factors may partially account for disparities. Statistically, BCRF states that health ailments such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity are more likely to impact Black women and they are also less likely to breastfeed after childbirth—all of which are risk factors for breast cancer. They are also more likely than white women to lack access to health insurance and healthcare facilities, which may decrease their chances for screening, follow-up care and completion of therapy.
According to a 2021 Susan G. Komen report, breast cancer incidence rates for most counties in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area are higher than the state rate of (22.9%) per 100,000. Still, they are comparable to the national rate of (28.3%). Dallas County’s incidence rate was found to be higher among Black women, with a rate of 32.4 percent compared to white women, with a rate of 27.2 percent, which is higher than in Texas overall.
Parkland has worked to increase access and reduce barriers to screening. The health system provides breast health services annually for 30,000 individuals and diagnoses and treats hundreds of patients with breast cancer. Parkland treats 21% of all new breast cancer cases in Dallas County. Compared to the national average, Parkland patients with breast cancer are younger, more likely to be uninsured/underinsured, have lower educational attainment and are diagnosed at later stages according to data from the National Cancer Database (2015-2019).
Examples of health disparities discovered in Dallas County include financial burdens, transportation barriers, health literacy, navigation and coordination of care, access to screenings, self-exams and lack of awareness of how to seek treatment at Parkland and what treatments may be available. Parkland is actively working to increase breast health awareness and access to breast cancer screenings through several initiatives, including numerous breast health outreach events and its mobile mammography units. Every week, the mobile van travels throughout Dallas County. The stops include every Parkland community clinic in targeted ZIP Codes identified in the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) as having the highest rate of breast cancer morbidity and mortality and are known to experience the highest rate of socio-economic health disparities. On some Saturdays, it also visits local health fairs, churches and community events.
Additionally, services are provided at Parkland’s Moody Center for Breast Health which opened last year on the system’s main campus and has marked a new chapter for Breast Health services at Parkland. The breast imaging center provides a full range of breast screening and diagnostic services in one central location, including mammograms, ultrasound, MRI, biopsies, stereotactic core biopsy and the most advanced technology with 3D mammography. The breast imaging center is connected to the breast clinic, home to breast surgery, breast oncology providers and other care team members. The care team may include providers, genetic counselors, oncology nurses, dietitians, social workers, financial counselors and navigators who can connect you to clinical trials and other resources in the community.
“The Parkland Health Moody Center for Breast Health brings together our Breast Imaging, Breast Medical Oncology and Breast Surgery teams to provide patient-centered care from screening to survivorship,” said Umber Dickerson, MPH, Administrative Director of the Cancer Program at Parkland Health.
Parkland will host the annual “Coming Together for the Cure” Breast Health and Wellness Expo on two Saturdays in October. The interactive event for breast cancer fighters, survivors, caregivers and friends will feature Parkland financial assistance, breast health education and community resources, yoga resources, a self-care lounge, blood pressure/glucose screenings, flu shots and more. The events will also offer no-cost mammograms for those registering in advance.
The first event is on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Dallas College – Pleasant Grove, 802 Buckner Blvd., Dallas, 75217. To register for a mammogram, contact Bertha Marin at 214-266-3334 or email CommunityDevelopment@phhs.org.
The second event is on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Salem Institutional Baptist Church, 3918 Crozier St., Dallas, 75215. To register for a mammogram, contact Bertha Marin at 214-266-3334 or email CommunityDevelopment@phhs.org.
“If breast cancer is found early, there are more treatment options and a better chance for survival. That’s why our teams are constantly working in the community to raise awareness for screenings. Given the fact that mammograms are a quick (less than 10 minute) process that is now more comfortable than ever and readily available throughout Dallas County, that should serve as motivation to register for this all-important and potentially life-saving screening exam,” said Jessica Porembka, MD, Medical Director of Breast Imaging at Parkland Health, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Strategy and Quality of Radiology at UT Southwestern.
To learn more about the services of the cancer program at Parkland, visit www.parklandhealth.org/cancer.
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