Dying to Learn: A Scoping Review of Breast and Cervical Cancer Studies Focusing on Black Canadian Women

Background. In Canada, data on race/ethnicity are not routinely collected. Black Canadian women may be under-screened for cervical/breast cancer and may be predisposed to worse outcomes, however data are difficult to find. Objectives. A scoping review was conducted to identify common themes and gaps in the literature regarding cervical/breast cancer prevention and management in Black Canadian women. Methods. Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases (2003–2018) and grey literature were searched. Relevant studies were selected, data were charted, and themes were extracted. Results. Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Women from sub-Saharan Africa appear to have lower cervical and breast cancer screening rates; those of Caribbean/Latin American origin appear to have screening rates comparable to the general population; no studies reported prevalence or mortality rates for Black Canadian women. Conclusion. There is a paucity of health research on breast and cervical cancer specific to Black Canadian women.