While mortality due to ovarian cancer is decreasing overall, Black women continue to have lower survival rates and higher rates of disease recurrence than non-Hispanic, White women.
A recent National Cancer Institute study further supported this assertion by indicating that the frequency with which various subtypes of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in Black women differs from that of white women. Black women have been historically, medically and scientifically marginalized and thus, more progress is required to improve the treatment of Black women with aggressive cancers.
The frequency with which various subtypes of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in Black women differs from that of white women.
Unfortunately, medical mistrust in the Black community, arising from mistreatment, has resulted in a refusal by some Black patients to undergo surgery and chemotherapy, which may decrease their cancer survival rates. Also, Black women are less likely to have the genetics of their tumors evaluated, which may restrict their access to novel, theoretically curative therapies.
Black women are less likely to have the genetics of their tumors evaluated, which may restrict their access to novel, theoretically curative therapies.
Fortunately, the National Institute of Health has been committed to increasing diversity amongst health professionals, which may enhance trust, facilitating improved relationships among patients, physicians, and caregivers. If these changes are introduced, greater participation in research by minority populations may occur, reconciling a considerable structural barrier to equitable care.
About Women’s Cancer Research Foundation The Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) is one of Southern California’s and the nation’s most active research organizations for female cancers. We are dedicated to serving the interests of patients, families, and friends affected by women’s cancers. WCRF partners with physician-scientists nationally to make differences in women’s lives by offering hope, strength, and progress.
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