by Nick Castele
Death rates for breast cancer are higher in Ohio than the average nationwide. That’s one finding from a report released today by Susan G. Komen Northeast Ohio.
The report says the breast cancer mortality rate in the state is the fourth highest in the nation.
But no one factor alone accounts for the state’s higher burden of deaths, according to Gina Chicotel, director of mission with Komen Northeast Ohio. Among the possibilities: Many women may have had trouble affording treatment, she said—or may not have had insurance at all.
Not having reliable transportation is an issue, too: Chicotel said in some Northeast Ohio counties, women may need to travel 20 to 30 miles to reach a center that offers the treatment they need or accepts their insurance.
“If they can’t afford to put gas in their car, if they have to take time off of work to attend appointments and add in that extra travel time, those could all present barriers to getting the care necessary to reduce breast cancer deaths in our area,” Chicotel said.
Receiving diagnoses at a late stage of breast cancer was also a factor.
Death rates were especially high in Mahoning, Richland, Lake and Lorain Counties.
The numbers were collected before the Affordable Care Act fully took effect in Ohio, and it’s unclear so far what effect federal exchanges and expanded Medicaid eligibility might have on breast cancer mortality rates.
Chicotel said she’s concerned low-income people have signed up for low-premium, high deductible health plans that may provide free or low-cost mammograms, but may not cover the cost of treatment.
There are also racial disparities in the numbers—African-American women with breast cancer are more likely than whites to die from it, both in Ohio and nationwide.
