$1.1M Grant Supports Research in Breast Cancer Survivorship among Black Women

New Brunswick, N.J., February 6, 2024— Bo (Bonnie) Qin, PhD, researcher and cancer epidemiologist in the Section of Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has received $1.1M from the American Cancer Society to support her research on the impact of lifestyle patterns, social determinants of health, and inflammatory mechanisms on breast cancer survivorship among Black women. Rutgers Cancer Institute together with RWJBarnabas Health is the state’s leading cancer program and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Black women continue to experience disparities in breast cancer outcomes, with a mortality rate 41 percent higher than that of White women. In this study, Dr. Qin and her team will explore the best ways to improve the lives of Black women after primary breast cancer treatment by looking at how social determinants, lifestyles, and biological mechanisms affect survival and patient-reported outcomes. To achieve this goal, researchers will use and enhance the Women’s Circle of Health Follow-Up Study, which is the largest study of its kind and has over 1,900 Black breast cancer survivors from New Jersey.

The project period is 5 years.