Summary
Breast cancer mortality differs significantly by several demographic factors, including socio-economic status, access to care, geographic residence and race/ethnicity. Despite extensive investigation, the known causes to date do not adequately explain this mortality gap. Largely missing in the literature is a rigorous examination of how exposure to chronic societal stress (CSS) might impact adverse breast cancer outcomes. Multiple lines of evidence, when considered together, indicate that this exposure merits investigation. CSS (e.g., interpersonal conflict, limited residential resources, etc)
