ChristianaCare research explains why a couple of places in Delaware are hotspots for advanced breast cancer.
The two areas that are hotspots are Northeast Wilmington for women of all ages and in Middletown for women under 50.
According to ChristianaCare’s Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute reduced screening rates and a higher prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer explain the higher numbers.
Right now in Wilmington, they have a community health worker embedded in the community to provide education, help with any barriers to health care and share information about risk factors and resources.
"Our goal simply stated, is to turn it from hot to cold. We don't want it to be a hotspot. We think by increasing screening, by addressing those risk factors, we can reduce the rates of advanced breast cancer,” said Dr. Scott Siegel, director of Cancer Control & Population Sciences at the Cawley Center and lead author of the study. “Assuming we're successful, then the goal is to scale that to other hotspots, Middletown would be certainly on the list."
Siegel notes another goal is to stretch research statewide in collaboration with the state, other health systems and community organizations.
"Areas where you see lower rates of screening mammography, you are more likely to see advanced breast cancer. It just follows that if screening is meant to catch a cancer at an earlier stage and people are less likely to get screening. You have greater odds at detecting it, at a later stage," said Siegel.
Siegel says they plan to identify hotspots in Kent and Sussex County with the first set of numbers from those counties expected in the fall.
ChristianaCare officials believe their efforts show that community cancer centers can lead the way in improving cancer outcomes where the risk is highest.
