Cancers and Black Women

0
100

June 12, 2000 — While cancer takes a heavy toll on all Americans, research shows that black women are at greater risk than white women of developing or dying from a handful of cancers, including those of the cervical cancer are higher among black women than for white women. This is likely because black women tend to have fewer Pap smears and not because of genetics. Two studies presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists in February 2000 found that there was no difference in survival rates among black and white women after controlling for factors such as sexual history and access to appropriate medical care.

The incidence of invasive cervical cancer among black women also increases rapidly with age. So older women need to be just as vigilant as young women about getting screened.

What to do: Get your Pap smear regularly — be religious about it. Don’t put it off for any reason. And while you’re at it, take your mother with you.

Beatrice Motamedi is a health and medical writer based in Oakland, Calif., who has written for Hippocrates, Newsweek, Wired, and many other national publications.