This study examines breast cancer treatment and outcomes in the Southern New Jersey Counties, focusing on disparate outcomes across sub-populations, and compares the region with the state as a whole.
The rate of breast cancer in New Jersey is consistently higher than the rate in the United States. Each year in New Jersey approximately 7000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than one thousand women die from the disease, making it the second greatest cause of cancer mortality for women in the state, after lung cancer. And seven of South Jersey’s eight counties have mortality rates higher than the state average.
The short term goal of this study is to compare and contrast data on breast cancer treatment and outcomes for counties across the region, and compare the region with the state as a whole. The overarching goal of this study is to identify community-related facilitators and barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment services for uninsured and underinsured low income, racial and ethnic minority women in the eight counties of Southern New Jersey. Findings from this study can be expected to provide policy actionable information and ultimately lead to the design of community level interventions that improve equity and treatment outcomes.