Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion

A Black woman in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood is 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than a white woman living ten miles north in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood.

This disparity is partly due to differences in income and access to health care. But it is also due to inherited genetic risk factors: Black women are twice as likely to develop a specific type of breast cancer, called triple-negative breast cancer, that is less researched and has fewer available treatment options than other types of breast cancer.

Stark health disparities are not unique to breast cancer or Chicago. They exist for many diseases worldwide, and they have a pernicious effect. The people hurt by these disparities don’t just lose years of life. They also miss personal, educational and economic opportunities that go hand in hand with good health, often putting their hopes and dreams out of reach. This unnecessary suffering and dying calls for urgent change.

To reduce unnecessary suffering and death, scientists must identify new disease treatments, screenings and preventions that promote better health for all people—particularly those frequently overlooked or mistreated by health care systems. Achieving this goal requires a system that elevates the voices of those living in underserved communities so they are heard, valued and considered by dedicated, world-class researchers and dedicated clinicians. It requires the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

UIC is a recognized leader in equitable drug development and cancer research. At the forefront of this vital work are scientists from the University of Illinois Cancer Center, Herbert M. and Carol H. Retzky College of Pharmacy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ department of chemistry and University of Illinois Collaborative Engagement in Novel Therapeutic Research and Enterprise (UICentre). When these experts collaborate, more effective health care options become available to all patients sooner. In turn, fewer health inequities will exist across Chicago’s underserved communities and the globe.