Community Spotlights
Health Equity Research Spotlight
In Delaware, between 2017 and 2021, breast cancer accounted for 17% of all new cancer cases and 8% of all cancer deaths. The incidence rate among non-Hispanic White women is 143.3. Among non-Hispanic Black women, it is 134.8 and 111.2 for Hispanic women. However, the breast cancer mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black women is statistically higher than that of non-Hispanic White women and Hispanic women.
From 2017-2021, the age-adjusted mortality rate for breast cancer among non-Hispanic Black women was 26.9 deaths per 100,000 population compared 20.3 deaths per 100,000 among non-Hispanic White women and 11.1 deaths per 100,000 among Hispanic women.
Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Delaware, 2017-2021 (Delaware DHSS DPH Report, 2024)
Community Partner Spotlight
The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is an organization that is dedicated to improving the lives, knowledge base, and health outcomes of all Delawareans. The primary mission of the DBCC is to increase both awareness of breast health issues and access to breast cancer care. This mission is achieved through the use of outreach, education, and service connection in a compassionate way that makes everyone feel seen and cared for. The DBCC serves the entire state of Delaware as well as some surrounding states and has offices in Sussex, Kent, and New Castle counties.
In addition to connecting individuals to services, the DBCC offers a host of programs and services itself all while maintaining a culturally competent environment with support for individuals of numerous ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. The coalition has over 300 peer mentors that assist in furthering the goals of the organization. This year alone, the DBCC has assisted 1,183 women with navigation and screening services, 223 women with translation services, and 183 women with transportation to their screenings. Last year, the coalition provided more than $125,000 in financial assistance to women diagnosed with breast cancer. For more information, please visit their website by clicking here.
Additional Flyers:
DSU Researcher Spotlight
Dr. Karl Miletti-Gonzalez
Associate Professor of Biology, Delaware State University
“I am a cancer researcher. I study how cancer cells respond to signals in the environment. This subfield of cancer research is called cell signaling/signal transduction. Currently, I am exploring why triple negative breast cancer (TNCBC) is seen more frequently among African American than among white women. I want to know if genetics explain the difference. In my lab, I test and compare TNBC cells from African American women and from white women to see if they react differently to the same stimuli. So far, we have not found different typical behaviors or responses except for the response to hydrogen peroxide. This difference might help us develop treatments for different race and ethnic groups.”
Dr. Miletti-Gonzalez Career Path & Community Engagement
“I became interested in studying cancer cells because many of the men and women in my family had cancer. This still motivates my work. I want to help develop better cancer treatments. I look forward to talking with the Chanpyon’s because I want to learn more from the women who my research can help. I want to know how women who have experienced breast cancer think about my research and hear about other questions and ideas they have about cancer. Talking to the Chanpyons will help me understand how breast cancer impacts their community. This information will improve my research because I will have a more realistic idea of the breast cancer experience. I can consider that real life experience and context to shape my research and work toward better treatments.”