08 Jun Social Status Links Metabolic Syndrome and Breast Cancer Survival in AA Women

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Greco

Giampaolo Greco PhD MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Population Health Science and Policy
Icahn School of Medicine  at Mount Sinai

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The motivation for our study was to understand why mortality rate from breast cancer is much higher in African American women than in White women, despite the fact that these groups have similar incidence rate of breast cancer.

Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that includes abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, is more prevalent among African American women and may be a risk factor for breast cancer.

Subjective social status (SSS) is the perception of individuals of their own ranking in the social hierarchy and complements other parameters of socioeconomic status, such as income and education, that are considered more objective. Socioeconomic status is associated with cardiovascular and mental health. Although objective measures of social status are associated with worse breast cancer outcomes, the relationship of SSS to breast cancer is uncertain.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: Our study was conducted on 1206 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

First, we found that subjective social status was an independent predictor of the severity of metabolic syndrome in women with breast cancer, controlling for age, income, education, diet and exercise.

Second, given equivalent level of income and education, black women’s SSS, on average, was lower than in white women. The difference was particularly striking at the highest level of income and education. In other words, black women perceive their position on the US social ladder below that of white women even within the same educational and income level groups 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: SSS, independent of objective socioeconomic parameters, is associated with metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for breast cancer. Moreover, subjective social status is skewed by race: lower in black women than white women with equivalent levels of income and education. The gap in the perception of social status and its association with more severe metabolic syndrome among African American women, may contribute to their worse breast cancer outcomes. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: The link among SSS, metabolic syndrome and breast cancer provides new evidence on the interrelation between our socioeconomic environment and our health. Research addressing this important disparity must focus on problems and solutions that lie both within and beyond our healthcare delivery system.

I have no disclosures

Funding for this study came from the NCI / NIH R01CA171558 to N.B and DLR 

Citation: 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting

Race, subjective social status and metabolic syndrome in women with breast cancer.

Giampaolo Greco, Emily J. Gallagher, Derek Leroith, Sylvia Lin, Radhi Yagnik, Sheldon M. Feldman, Brigid K. Killelea, Neil B Friedman, Melissa Louise Pilewskie, Lydia Choi, Nina A. Bickell; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Division of Endocrinology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY; Columbia Univ Coll of…

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 560)

DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.560

https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/198421/abstract 

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Last Updated on June 8, 2021 by Marie Benz MD FAAD