Breast Cancer: New Study Shows Place Of Origin May Impact A Latina's Survival Rate

The fight for a cure of breast cancer still ranges on with many women suffering from the disease. A new study has shown that breast cancer mortality rates differ from Latina women depending on place of origin.

According to FOX News Latino, the new study showcases breast cancer mortality rates differ from Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Central and South American women in the U.S.

The author of the study, funded by the Avon Foundation, says that the goal is to provide aggregated data to help health care providers understand the diversity within the Hispanic community in the U.S.

The study shows that Puerto Rican and Mexican women have the highest breast cancer mortality rates and Central and South Americans have the lowest.

“There shouldn’t be an umbrella over the Hispanic community. It’s a large and diverse group culturally with varying sets of beliefs. And healthcare providers need to remember that,” epidemiologist Bijou Hunt of the Sinai Urban Health Institute told Fox News Latino.

The site reports that the study examined data from 100,000 women. It showed that the mortality rates among Puerto Rican women were at 19.04 percent, Mexicans were at 18.78 percent and Cubans at 17.89 percent.

Central And South American women were found to be significantly less likely to fdie from breast cancer than other Hispanic subgroups observed. The study showed that those women had a 10.5 percent mortality rate.

Knowing which groups have a better chance of survival is the first step in figuring out where the greatest needs are.

"The more we know, the better we will be at improving care, quality of life and survival rates," Cheryl Heinonen, Avon Foundation president said in a statement.

There are 56.6 million people of Hispanic origin in the U.S. – the largest racial minority in the country. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic women and the leading cause of cancer deaths for this group.

Latina patients have less incidence of breast cancer but when they go to see the doctor it’s usually more advanced,” Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, director of Cancer Research & Breast Medical Oncologist at Cancer Treatments of America in Atlanta, Georgia, told the site. “There are three important factors leading for a higher chance of survival: education, screening, and access to new drugs. These make a positive impact discovery at the earliest stage.”