Black women living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods experience significantly higher rates of an aggressive and difficult-to-treat subtype of breast cancer, according to an October 2025 study.
The subtype, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), disproportionately affects Black women. However, the study, published in the JAMA Network, finds that TBNC cases progressively decrease the more advantaged a Black woman’s neighborhood.
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The report’s researchers analyzed Census data from 13,340 Black women who were diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer between 2010 and 2020. The women in the most under-resourced communities had the highest incidences of the cancer, 19.3 per 100,000 women, compared to 17.2 per 100,000 in the most advantaged areas.
People living in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities tend to experience chronic social, economic, and environmental stress. These neighborhoods often lack resources, such as quality healthcare, and residents are more likely to be exposed to Superfund sites and elevated levels of toxins. All of which can influence cancer development, according to the report.
The findings indicate that breast cancer risk increases in these communities without regard to individual risk factors, meaning even if a woman does not have a family history of breast cancer, her TBNC risk is still elevated because of her living situation.
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“Reversing these structural inequities will require targeted investment in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, including enforcing environmental regulations, expanding access to nutritious foods, and funding community safety initiatives,” reads the study. It adds that implementing policies to address redlining and investing in equitable housing and infrastructure may also help reduce TNBC disparities.
The research team evaluated neighborhood data using the Yost Index, which organizes statistics by geographic area and combines multiple data points, including household income, poverty, housing value, and education.