African-American women who develop breast cancer may face discrimination at the hands of their health care providers and receive less aggressive treatments than their white counterparts, even when fully insured, according to health benefits company WellPoint.

A study of administrative claims data and patient medical charts for more than 3,000 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia members diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2000 and August 2005 showed significant treatment disparities between black and white cancer patients.

Researchers found that white women on average were diagnosed with cancer at an earlier age and at more treatable stages of cancer development than African-American women. Postmenopausal white women also were less likely to be on hormone replacement therapy, which can boost breast cancer risks.

White women also were more likely to know about the link between hormone replacement therapy and cancer risk, and were more likely to seek routine mammograms than were African-American women.

The researchers say their findings may help explain why black women have a higher breast cancer mortality rate than their white peers. It also identifies areas in the health care arena that need improvement when it comes to protecting the health of black patients. These include programs to educate physicians about the need to be proactive in assessing breast cancer risks among their African-American patients and education services to inform black women about the need for preventive care, including regular mammograms and self-administered breast exams, says lead study investigator Louise Short, MD.

"In an effort to improve overall quality of cancer care, it's critical to examine disparities in treatment facing different populations," says Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society and a study coauthor. "African-American women with insurance often do not receive the same level of care as their Caucasian counterparts, and we must work to improve care and outcomes among this population."