Unemployment and the Detection of Early Stage Breast Tumors Among African Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that high unemployment predicts reduced detection of local breast tumors among African American and non-Hispanic white women in the Detroit, Michigan and Atlanta, Georgia SEER catchment areas. METHODS: We test the hypothesis with data for the 156 months from January 1985 through December 1997. RESULTS: In situ and local breast tumors in African American and non-Hispanic white women were less likely to be detected during periods of high unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: Contracting labor markets may impede women with symptoms from getting proper medical attention or distract women from discovering symptoms they would otherwise detect. African American women appear at greatest risk of having a tumor going undetected by virtue of labor market performance.