PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The American Cancer Society wants to get a better understanding of cancer disparities, and is launching its biggest study of risks and outcomes for Black women to do so.
“Voices of Black Women” will see the ACS partner with 100,000 women over the next 30 years. It is targeting women between the ages of 25 and 55 who have only been diagnosed with basal or squamous skin cancer.
They must also be from the 20 states eligible for the study, which includes Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Those 20 also represent 90% of the U.S. Black population.
ACS Senior Vice President for Population Science Dr. Alpa Patel said the study is to help ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect and survive their cancer.
“To underscore not only our commitment to health equity, but to really understand what is driving cancer at multiple levels for a population that has some of the poorest outcomes and lowest survival of most types of cancer,” she said.
Dr. Lauren McCullough, Visiting Scientific Director of Epidemiology for ACS, said Black women have a lower life expectancy, higher rates of comorbidities, and live among the greatest poverty rates of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
“With few exceptions, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage cancer, aggressive tumor types, and have higher cancer specific mortality rates than other women across race and ethnic groups,” she said.
However, over the last decade or so, Black women have become more engaged than ever in the health of their communities.
“And so we are trying to engage with a group that is already activated, and really wants this opportunity to really learn more and understand,” said McCullough.
Patel said the study would be “truly transformative… helping us learn about why Black women have some of the highest death rates and shorter survival of any racial ethnic group in the United States from most cancers.”
Sign up or Learn more at voices.cancer.org.