Coalition Of Blacks Against Breast Cancer Celebrates 10th Anniversary

By Scott Bourque
Published: Sunday, October 20, 2019 - 1:56pm

A local nonprofit that focuses on raising awareness of the risks of breast cancer in black women and men is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Dr. Michele Halyard, founder of the Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer, said the disease disproportionately affects the black community due to a number of factors. 

“One is that African American women and men tend to have a more biologically aggressive type of breast cancer, particularly one that’s called triple negative, which strikes earlier,” she said.  “We don’t have as effective of treatments as we would like. The other is access to care: we know that early diagnosis and prompt treatment does improve survival, so that’s another factor as well.”

Halyard said the coalition actively works to address the cultural issues surrounding breast cancer in the black community, including access to mammograms and treatment.

“We’re focused on not only providing support to breast cancer patients, but to educate them about the importance of mammography screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship issues,” she said.