The death rate from breast cancer in American women fell almost 5 percent between 1989 and 1992, the largest short-term decline in four decades, federal health officials said last week. But while the rate for white women fell 5.5 percent, the rate for black women rose 2.6 percent.

There are 31 breast cancer deaths per 100,000 black women compared with 26 per 100,000 among white women each year, according to the new figures from the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

"Despite the good news, we are far from satisfied. We need to make more progress against breast cancer in all women," [Samuel] Broder said.