Researchers have found that young black women aged 40 or younger in the UK have a higher risk of breast cancer coming back than white women, despite having the same access to healthcare.
The reasons for the findings are unknown but could be down to biological and genetic factors, a language barrier, or a lack of awareness of breast cancer in the group all barring the way to effective treatment.
Experts called for more work to take place to find the cause.
The research published in the British Journal of Cancer also found that young black women are more likely to have larger more aggressive tumours and higher rates of triple negative breast cancer - a type of breast cancer that does not respond to hormone therapies.
Academics from the University of Southampton said that these factors did not completely explain why black women have poorer survival rates, particularly those with the type of breast cancer that is expected to be sensitive to hormones.
The study put forward a number of possible explanations why black women may be more affected than other ethnic groups.
An unidentified biological factor such as cancers in women of African-Caribbean descent responding less well to treatments, including hormone therapy, or differences in the genetics of their tumours could be a reason.
Early diagnosis may also play a role if black women are less aware of the symptoms or less likely to be breast aware - meaning the cancer is diagnosed at a later stage and reducing the chance of successful treatment.
Cultural factors such as recent immigration to the UK or language barriers could in practice affect use of health services, despite equal treatment from the NHS.
Study author Dr Ellen Copson said: "Our study confirms for the first time that black women under 41 in the UK are more likely to have breast cancer recurrence than their white counterparts, despite equal access to healthcare.
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