Dr. Wendy Wilcox aims to end disparities
in breast cancer diagnoses and care
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 5
BY EMILY DAVENPORT When it comes to breast cancer in
New York City, there are still
disparities in care for communities
of color. Dr. Wendy Wilcox,
board-certifi ed Obstetrician Gynecologist
and the Clinical System Lead
for Women’s Health, as well as Chairperson
of Obstetrics and Gynecology
for NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings
County, has practiced obstetrics, gynecology
and women’s health with a
focus on achieving health equity and
eliminating disparities across populations
throughout her career.
“There were women’s care counselors
that were placed in the dorms to
help students get to the right resources
in case of date rape, or to help inform
about public health topics like STIs,
how to stay healthy, or how to identify
eating disorders. I became intrigued,
not thinking that this would inform
what I do later,” said Dr. Wilcox. “In
that rotation, I learned that liked talking
to my patients – you talk to the parents.
I really enjoyed a lot of teaching
and informing. As I was moving over
to women’s health, it’s such a wideopen
fi eld – it just drew me in.”
Dr. Wilcox became an attending at
Montefi ore Medical Center, which led
to her being director of her medical
group and Assistant Professor in Ob-
Gyn at the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine. Recently, Dr. Wilcox was
named Co-chair for Governor Cuomo’s
Taskforce on Maternal Mortality and
Disparate Racial Outcomes, which
recommended the newly formed New
York State Maternal Mortality Review
Committee.
In her experience, Dr. Wilcox notices
that those who are coming for
their annual check-ups and mammographies
are generally already engaged
in their health and tend to follow the
recommended practices. The problem
comes with those who aren’t seeking
treatment, particularly those who are
African American or are of African
descent, who are at a higher risk of dying
from breast cancer.
“There is still a mistrust of the
medical community for valid reasons,”
said Dr. Wilcox. “Historically we can
look back and see many many examples
of how African Americans and
immigrants sometimes have been the
victims of some really horrifi c medical
experiments. African American
women are much more likely to die of
breast cancer than Caucasian women
because they are generally diagnosed
at a later stage, and are more likely to
have triple negative breast cancer. The
gap is widening where there was a disparity
before.”
Triple negative breast cancer,
which shows no estrogen receptors,
progesterone receptors, and excess
HER2 protein accounts for 10-15% of
breast cancer and has a low survival
rate. It is common for African American
women under the age of 40, or
women with the BRCA1 mutation.
Multiple health organizations recommend
that women start getting
regular mammograms at the age of
40. In Dr. Wilcox’s experience, she
fi nds that many women aren’t getting
their mammograms because they
think the procedure is more painful
than it actually is. While in the age of
COVID-19, Dr. Wilcox notes that her
practice, as well as others throughout
the city, are taking precautions to
make sure a doctor’s visit is safe for
patients.
While there are some genetic factors
that can lead to the development
of breast cancer, Dr. Wilcox says that
maintaining your overall health can
help reduce your risk factors for developing
breast cancer. Certain things
like quitting smoking and managing
your weight can be benefi cial, as well
as staying away from processed foods
can help reduce the risk for women
at any age, while women of reproductive
age can breastfeed to reduce their
risk.
“The healthier one is in general,
then the healthier one will be when
looking at certain diseases,” said Dr.
Wilcox. “Eating healthy, eating correct
amounts of fruits and vegetables,
exercising, trying to avoid refi ne and
processed foods and sugars, reducing
alcohol intake. There are some
changes that happen during menopause
— many gain weight and experience
insomnia We may not be as
concerned about our nutritional intake,
the older one gets the higher the
chances of one having breast cancer
is a lifetime risk, and it increases in
menopause. Being thoughtful of maintaining
overall health is good for your
breasts.”