Disparities in Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Importance of Race, Poverty, and Age.

This study investigated the association of race, age, and census tract area poverty level on breast cancer stage at diagnosis. The study was limited to women residing in Missouri, aged 18 years and older, diagnosed with breast cancer, and whose cases were reported to the Cancer Registry between 2003 and 2008. The risk, relative risk, and increased risk of late-stage at diagnosis by race, age, and census tract area poverty level were computed. We found that the odds of late-stage breast cancer among African-American women were higher when compared with their white counterpart (OR 1.433; 95% CI, 1.316, 1.560). In addition, the odds of advanced stage disease for women residing in high-poverty areas were greater than those living in low-poverty areas (OR 1.319; 95% CI 1.08; 1.201). To close the widening cancer disparities gap in Missouri, there is the need for effective and programmatic strategies to enable interventions to reach areas and populations most vulnerable to advanced stage breast cancer diagnosis.