It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among nearly every racial and ethnic group, including African American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Hispanic, Japanese, and Korean women.
White women have a higher rate of developing breast cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.
Among women under the age of 50, African Americans have a higher incidence of breast cancer than white women. Breast cancer is increasing faster in Hispanic women due to their population growth rate. Even though White women have a higher rate of developing breast cancer, African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer. Access to health care and participation in screening such as mammography and clinical breast exams may explain at least some of the racial and ethnic differences in the rates of death from breast cancer. The risk of dying increases greatly when breast cancer is diagnosed at more advanced stages of disease.