Artwork by Dana Tiger

Breast cancer is a disease that can affect everybody. It is indiscriminate and chooses its victims at random. Not caring whether your relatives are on the tribal council or if you attend powwows, it can strike you at any moment like a stalker that lurks in the night. Many Native American women fail to consider this fact and simply label breast cancer as a “white man’s” disease. Although it is true that white women have a higher incidence of breast cancer—approximately 93.3 cases per every 100,000—Native American women have a lower survival rate!

Graph 1. Five-year survival rate percentages.

Despite the low incidence rate in Native American women—which is 21.7 cases per every 100,000—they have the poorest five-year survival rate than any other race. Their survival rate of 49% is lower than that of African American and European American women (See graph 1). The low survival rate that plagues American Indian women can be related to the late detection of breast cancer. With proper education and screening for breast cancer, the five-year survival rate for Native American women can improve over time. If you want to learn more about breast cancer, just click on the links below.