Officials cite race, income and literacy factors as causes for city’s ranking
Nov. 21, 2009
Portsmouth has the highest breast cancer mortality rate in Virginia, according to the latest statistics from state health officials.
Between 2002 and 2006 breast cancer killed about 35 of every 100,000 women in Portsmouth, the Virginia Department of Health said.
Statewide, the breast cancer mortality rate was nearly 26 deaths per 100,000 women. Norfolk, Portsmouth’s neighbor, had the second-highest mortality rate—more than 33 deaths per 100,000.
Officials say there are multiple factors for Portsmouth’s ranking, including race, literacy and resident incomes.
The City of Portsmouth is the only locality in the Portsmouth Health District. State officials calculated mortality rates for each of Virginia’s 35 health districts. Some districts conform to city boundaries while others, such as Piedmont, include several localities.
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- Download a Google Doc of this data set.
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Contributing Factors
Jessica Mullen, a senior health educator for the Portsmouth Health District described the city’s population as urban and predominately African-American. She said many residents have incomes falling below the poverty level and there’s a “pretty low literacy rate.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s statistics from 1999, 16.2 percent of Portsmouth’s residents have incomes falling below the poverty level. Approximately 9.6 percent of Virginia residents earned incomes below the poverty line in the same year.
Mullen said it’s these characteristics that contribute to the breast cancer mortality rate.
“Unfortunately Portsmouth ranks high in a lot of the death mortality rates,” Mullen said. She said mortality rates are also high for other diseases.
“If we’re not at the top we’re close to it,” Mullen said of Portsmouth’s mortality rankings for other diseases.
Black women with breast cancer in Portsmouth die at the second-highest rate in the state.
Mullen said the high rate may also be related to uninsured or underinsured women lacking access to breast cancer screenings, receiving a diagnosis and affording treatment.
In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Health Insurance Estimates showed that 10 percent of Portsmouth’s population was without health insurance.
Gail Jennings, an epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health said race, lack of higher education and poverty are all risk factors that “predict poor health outcomes.”
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Source: Virginia Division of Health Statistics
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Battling Breast Cancer
Mullen said while the health district does not have any special programs addressing breast cancer, the department does try to make women aware of screenings and treatment opportunities.
“When people come in for family planning appointments, breast care is always addressed,” Mullen said.
Mullen said women who meet income requirements are referred to the Every Woman’s Life program, a federally-mandated program that offers breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings to women with low-incomes.
Domenick Casuccio, a regional communications and marketing director for the American Cancer Society, said programs to help women diagnosed with breast cancer in the Portsmouth area are strong; however, reaching women is a different story.
Cassuccio said African-Americans have a higher incidence of cancers “across the board” and typically have a higher mortality rate. He too said the two main mortality factors are income and race.
Cassuccio said a lot of women are not aware of the Every Woman’s Life program and other opportunities to received free mammograms.
“Typically there’s more available that what you think.”
we can always prevent cancer by regular self-breast exams;;”
Breast Cancer as with other types of cancer, can be prevented by early intervention..”: