Associations between breast cancer subtype and neighborhood socioeconomic and racial composition among Black and White women

Purpose: Studies of Black–White differences in breast cancer subtype often emphasize potential ancestry-associated genetic or lifestyle risk factors without fully considering how the social or economic implications of race in the U.S. may influence risk. We assess whether neighborhood racial composition and/or socioeconomic status are associated with odds of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) diagnosis relative to the less-aggressive hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative subtype (HR+ /HER−), and whether the observed relationships vary across women’s race and age groups. Methods: We use multilevel generalized estimating equation models to evaluate odds of TNBC vs. HR+ /HER2− subtypes in a population-based cohort of 7291 Black and 74,208 White women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2006 to 2014. Final models include both neighborhood-level variables, adjusting for individual demographics and tumor characteristics. Results: Relative to the HR+ /HER− subtype, we found modestly lower odds of TNBC subtype among White women with higher neighborhood median household income (statistically significant within the 45–64 age group, OR = 0.981 per $10,000 increase). Among Black women, both higher neighborhood income and higher percentages of Black neighborhood residents were associated with lower odds of TNBC relative to HR+ /HER2−. The largest reduction was observed among Black women diagnosed at age ≥ 65 (OR = 0.938 per $10,000 increase; OR = 0.942 per 10% increase in Black residents). Conclusion: The relationships between neighborhood composition, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and odds of TNBC differ by race and age. Racially patterned social factors warrant further exploration in breast cancer subtype disparities research.