Over the last 30 years, researchers have documented a widening survival gap between black and white women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. In March 2014, one study found that black women diagnosed with breast cancer are, on average, 40 percent more likely to die than their white counterparts. With that dire statistic in mind, The Takeaway decided to look behind the numbers and hear from a range of African-American women diagnosed with the disease. The six month series was launched on July 1, 2014. “Under Her Skin: Living With Breast Cancer” shared the uniquely personal stories of three black women fighting breast cancer at varying stages: Lisa Echols, a 47-year-old mother of two and hospital technician from Memphis; Crystal Miller, a 28-year-old nurse from New York City; and Anita Coleman, a 55-year-old grandmother from Los Angeles who was fighting breast cancer for the second time. In audio diaries, each woman documented her experiences — personal thoughts and anxieties, concerns over faith, doctors’ visits, chemotherapy treatments, family gatherings — and tackled difficult questions: “Is this how I’m going to die?” “How do I pay for this?” “Do I still believe in God?” The diaries aired on The Takeaway’s affiliates and on an interactive website, www.livingwithbreastcancer.org. Host John Hockenberry led periodic interviews with all three women and with experts on the disease, and producers curated a Facebook group where listeners shared their own stories and advice for fellow patients.
