Black Woman diagnosed with breast cancer

It’s time to erase the line of inequality in breast cancer care.

Black women are more likely to face mortality from breast cancer, despite its lower incidence rate compared to white women. In a systemically racist healthcare system, Black women are often dismissed and ignored, and are treated with prejudices that keep them from receiving an equitable standard of care.

This needs to change. Which is why The Chrysalis Initiative launched BC Navi to close this healthcare gap. This digital resource provides Black women (and other disparate groups) with the tools to recognize and address racism in their cancer care, including 1:1 coaching, accessing resources and a patient community, and viewing a patient-curated provider directory—all with the purpose of erasing the line of inequality in breast cancer care.

We Provide Breast Cancer Coaching and Navigation Support

The Chrysalis Initiative exists to disrupt outcome disparities within breast cancer, so every patient receives the care they deserve. By providing patients with mentoring and resource navigation and equipping Black women (and other disparate groups) with the opportunity and education to assess their breast cancer risk, we are closing the gap one story at a time.

In addition to supporting patients with breast cancer, The Chrysalis Cancer Curriculum Provider Training challenges institutional realities with evidence-based strategies to guide providers as they reshape their paradigms and improve their practices to eradicate treatment disparities.

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"Disrupting Disparities in Cancer Care."

What Is The Chrysalis Initiative?

Established in 2019, The Chrysalis Initiative exists to counteract breast cancer disparities and breast health inequities using patient activation, provider education, and barrier intervention to reduce the impact of disparities in breast cancer outcomes.

The Chrysalis Initiative applies evidence-based strategies to reshape the individual and institutional knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that impact health outcomes for Black women (and other disparate groups) with breast cancer.

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Our Vision

“The vision of The Chrysalis Initiative is a world in which the color of one’s skin does not create a barrier to quality health care.”

The Facts

Disparity Facts

For breast cancer, compared with non-Hispanic Whites, the adjusted relative risk of death is 71% higher for non-Hispanic Blacks and 14% higher in Hispanics (JAMA Network).

Racial disparities are observed in luminal tumors and most pronounced among Black women of high socioeconomic status. Black women tend to be diagnosed younger and with more aggressive breast cancers than their White counterparts (CDC and NIH).

Figures

Approximately 12.9% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime (SEER).

There are an estimated 3,577,264 women living with breast cancer in the United States (SEER).

Estimated new cases of breast cancer annually are 276,480 (SEER 13).

Why It Matters?

Black women face a 42% higher rate of mortality from breast cancer compared to their white counterparts. Implicit bias and structural racism lead to Black women too often being diagnosed with more aggressive breast cancers at later stages resulting in poorer prognosis and limited, costly treatment.

The Chrysalis Initiative addresses the reality of these inequities by providing life-changing resources directly to affected patients, as well as educating providers to reform their practices and build an informed approach for better treatment.

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Why We Need It?

Breast cancer disparities are a multi-layered and complex issue, a blend of multiple contributing factors including personal risk, inherited or genetic risk, social determinants of health, and healthcare delivery barriers. The Chrysalis Curriculum unpacks these complex issues at every level for both patients and providers.

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Donate Today

Contributions from donors like you help provide resources to women who are facing breast cancer disparities.

App Download

Browse our app for mobile resources to guide you along your journey.

Provider Training

For providers committed to reducing disparities in their practices with evidence-driven resources to enhance your understanding and approach.

One on One Coach

An experienced breast cancer coach will help you navigate through your diagnosis. You do not have to go through this alone. Sign up to talk to us today!