Ending Breast Cancer Disparities to Achieve Health Equity for All
Breast cancer disparities for African-American women are startling. According to the most recent data available, breast cancer mortality is about 40 percent higher for African-American women in the U.S. than Caucasian women. And, African-American women are often diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer when treatment options are limited, costly and the prognosis is poor. Susan G. Komen believes this is unacceptable and is working to change these outcomes.
Komen at Work in Your Community
Click on the 
icons above to find more information on the U.S cities with the greatest disparities in breast cancer mortality rate between African-American and white women.
Cities with the icons above are the U.S cities with the greatest disparities in breast cancer mortality rate between African-American and white women.
Represents Komen Affiliate service area.
Select city
Atlanta, GA
Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA
Chicago, IL
Dallas/Forth Worth, TX
Houston, TX
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Virginia Beach, VA
Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia, PA
Long Beach & Los Angeles, CA
- Since 1995, the Susan G. Komen Los Angeles Affiliate and other events have raised more than $6.6 million to fund over 400 community grants to support programs dedicated to serving low-income, minority and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest. In addition, neighboring Komen Orange County has invested another $14.6 million across 279 community grants since 1993.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $68 million to support more than 305 grants to researchers at leading institutions in California, including University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Philadelphia, PA
- Since 1995, Susan G. Komen Philadelphia has invested more than $24.6 million across more than 480 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $47.8 million to support more than 135 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Pennsylvania, including Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, American Association for Cancer Research and Fox Chase Cancer Center, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Chicago, IL
- Since 1998, Susan G. Komen Chicagoland Area has invested more than $15.8 million across more than 250 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $16.5 million to support more than 70 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Illinois, including Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, University of Illinois at Champaign and Urbana and Rush University, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
St. Louis, MO
- Since 2000, Susan G. Komen St. Louis has invested more than $28.1 million across more than 345 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $21.9 million to support more than 35 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Missouri, including Washington University at St. Louis, University of Missouri at St. Louis, University of Missouri and St. Louis University, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Atlanta, GA
- Since 1993, Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta has invested more than $25.4 million across more than 455 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $3.3 million to support more than 8 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Georgia, including Emory University, Georgia Regents University Augusta, Medical College of Georgia and Morehouse School of Medicine, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Washington, DC
- Since 1990, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $35 million across more than 300 community grants to support local programs in the National Capital Region that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Komen has invested more than $30 million to support more than 120 grants to researchers at leading institutions in the National Capital Region, including Georgetown University, The Institute of Medicine, Howard University and George Washington University, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Virginia Beach, VA
- Since 2001, Susan G. Komen Tidewater has invested more than $4.3 million across more than 120 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $17.5 million to support more than 25 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Virginia, including American Society of Clinical Oncology, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
- Since 1992, Susan G. Komen Dallas County and Komen Greater Fort Worth have combined to invest more than $38.1 million across more than 425 community grants, supporting local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $91.9 million to support more than 300 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Texas, including University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston and University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Houston, TX
- Since 1998, Susan G. Komen Houston has invested more than $33.3 million across more than 285 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $91.9 million to support more than 300 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Texas, including University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston and University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Memphis, TN
- Since 1994, Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth has invested more than $8.6 million across more than 160 community grants to support local programs that are dedicated to reaching low-income and uninsured women in areas where breast cancer rates are highest.
- To date, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $12.4 million to support more than 45 grants to researchers at leading institutions in Tennessee, including Vanderbilt University, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Meharry Medical College, University of Tennessee at Knoxville and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Affiliate in your area.
Each year, our presence and investment in communities leads to impact.*
>$95M**
invested in disparities research
391,886
mammograms provided
116,042
clinical breast exams
56,350
diagnostic services
28,668
financial assistance
*2013 numbers
**Cumulative investment since 1982
CANCER DISPARITIES:
To achieve health equity, we must eliminate avoidable health disparities, which are differences in cancer outcomes among specific population groups, such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, disability, and education.
Committed to Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities
Komen believes that where you live should not determine whether you live – and that all women should have equal access to quality breast health care. We are committed to fixing the issue and working to bridge the gap in access to high-quality health care to reduce the rate, and, ultimately, end breast cancer disparities.
- Achieving Health Equity and Building Trust in communities where the disparities are greatest by ensuring access to high-quality screening, genetic testing, treatment, and clinical trials.
- Reducing Barriers to Quality Care through Patient Navigation by guiding women through the health care continuum: from outreach, education, risk reduction, detection, diagnosis, and treatment, through survivorship or end-of-life care.
- Empowering the Community through Advocacy by providing resources to support providers, survivors, advocates, community leaders, researchers, insurers, and policymakers to sustain local health system change.
Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force and Komen
One of the most promising community approaches supported by Komen is the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force (the “Task Force”). Physicians, community leaders, and public health advocates across Chicago convened to form the Task Force in 2007. Komen provided $2.6 million to support the work of the Task Force, which is a collaboration of the Sinai Urban Health Institute, Avon Foundation for Women, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, National Institutes for Health, Illinois Department of Public Health, Telligen, and a host of other public and private entities.
Penny McFadden
“I had the opportunity to participate in the Beyond October program sponsored by the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force. I received a free mammogram at Rush Oak Park Hospital. It had been a few years since I had a mammogram and a few years ago I had to have a biopsy. I wanted to make sure. I wanted to be proactive. When I saw the advertisement for Beyond October in my church bulletin, it was a blessing. I was very grateful and am still very grateful. Thank you to the staff at The Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force for making sure women like myself are staying on top of our health!”
How You Can Get Involved
Donate to Komen to support community programs that will ensure access to the same quality of services for all.
