In this report CRA and Susan G. Komen (Komen) examine the extent to which policies associated with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment and care can exacerbate or ameliorate inequities in TNBC health outcomes among at risk, under-resourced populations in the United States (US). In particular, the objective was to:
- Describe evidence of the inequitable access to care and treatment and the resulting disparities on TNBC patients’ outcomes, including survival, and
- Highlight how health policies in the US can address the drivers of inequitable resources and support patient access to timely treatment and care.
To do this, CRA conducted a comprehensive literature review of the TNBC policy landscape, which was enhanced by integrating insights from the patient advocacy group, Komen, to capture the real-world patient perspective and experience. Together, CRA and Komen evaluated potential policies and programs for TNBC treatment and care that could support the needs of at risk, under-resourced populations and reduce health inequities that lead to disparities in outcomes. The report was conducted for, and funded by, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
We focused on federal, state, and community-level policies and programs. The analysis references six states: California (CA), Georgia (GA), Louisiana (LA), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), and Pennsylvania (PA) and included additional states with constructive policy examples. The states of focus were selected based on their high level of breast cancer incidence among Black women and to ensure regional representation across the US.