Washington University researchers have identified specific areas of the country where women are much more likely to die from breast cancer.
Across all women, there were 80 counties in the U.S. with the highest rates of breast cancer mortality. Nine were in Missouri, including New Madrid, Stoddard and Scott Counties.
Justin Xavier Moore is a postdoctoral researcher at Wash U and one of the study authors.
He says identifying breast cancer mortality hotspots can help call attention to the specific healthcare needs in these areas.
"Some of the things we can do to mitigate that burden is to have more of a strategic approach on some of the resources we're providing for those communities or in those areas. "
Moore says these areas also had certain characteristics that may contribute to higher mortality rates.
"There was a higher prevalence of people who could not see a doctor in the past year due to cost and a larger unemployment rate."
There were no hot spots in Illinois.