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Addressing the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Racial Disparity: A Scoping
Review of Breast Cancer Awareness and Screening Initiatives for Black
Women

Dorie J. Gilbert et al.

Dec 26, 2025

"Abstract Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is widely considered the most aggressive and challenging breast cancer subtype, and it also disproportionately impacts U. S. Black women, who are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with TNBC as their White counterparts. However, general breast cancer awareness initiatives, while widespread and credited with overall reduced mortality, may lack specific messaging and techniques to increase TNBC and general screening awareness among Black women. We aimed to map the current extent and nature of breast cancer awareness and mammography screening interventions for U. S. Black women. Further, we explored the extent to which those programs addressed TNBC. Following a refined search strategy of published literature between 2015-2025, we identified 18 studies to examine for program aims, program components, and strategies for raising awareness. We found that while all selected studies reflected overall gains in increasing awareness and screening for Black women, only one-third of the programs included content related to TNBC, indicating a potential gap in awareness initiatives. We conclude with recommendations on how social work practice can promote awareness of TNBC and breast cancer screening among Black women and discuss critical policy implications, including ongoing debates regarding national screening guidelines aimed at reducing TNBC mortality rates among Black women."

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