Considering the role of social determinants of health in black–white breast cancer disparities

lthough White women are more likely to develop breast cancer, Black women are more likely to die from the disease. A number of social factors have been implicated as social determinants of this disparity in breast cancer mortality, including race/ethnicity, social class, gender, and neighborhood. This chapter illustrates how knowledge of the determinants of racial and ethnic breast cancer disparities that occur at multiple levels of influence, ranging from the microbiological to the societal, might be used to develop interventions to eliminate those disparities. Further, this chapter presents a model to identify social determinants of breast cancer in Black women, examining each link in the chain of causation in a downward, iterative manner. Finally, the chapter examines specific areas of intervention, including the need to address social isolation, improving early detection efforts, the inclusion of social factors in addition to clinical information, and the development of community partners that can help achieve these goals.