According to a new report, breast cancer rates among black women are constantly increasing, coinciding with rates among white women and finishing a gap that had prevailed for decades.

Carol DeSantis, of the American Cancer Society and lead author of the new report, said that it is an awful condition for black women. The article was published on Thursday in Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

The researchers found that the black and white rates coincided at approximately 135 cases per 100,000 women, in 2012. A decade earlier, the white and black rates were at 132 and 124.

Experts believe that white women have had higher rates because of many reasons. One of the reasons is that they waited for a longer period of time in life till they have children. According to science recommends earlier childbirth is linked to lesser risk of budding breast cancer later on.

But as the white rate has reached by a steady volume, the black rate is moving slowly. Researchers don’t know the reason behind it.

The researchers said that the other reason is obesity. In older women, obesity leads to develop higher risks of breast cancer. And obesity rates are more in black women and have been growing more dramatically.