Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive endometrial cancer, to be diagnosed at a later stage, and to die from endometrial cancer. Learning more about why these disparities exist can help create more awareness about endometrial cancer in Black women.
Black Women Are More Likely to Get Aggressive Forms of Endometrial Cancer
Most endometrial cancers are endometrioid, meaning they start in the inner lining of the uterus and tend to grow slowly.
But nonendometrioid cancers, like serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma, behave differently. They’re more aggressive and harder to treat.
Black women are more likely to develop aggressive nonendometrioid cancer subtypes, says Amanda Onyewuenyi, MD, MPH, a gynecologist with Reiter, Hill & Johnson of Advantia in Washington, DC. Research shows that nonendometrioid cancers are becoming more common in all women, but Black women are diagnosed with these aggressive subtypes twice as often as women in other groups.
Black Women Are Often Diagnosed at an Advanced Stage
Endometrial cancer is often curable when caught early, but for Black women, the condition is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, says Ritu Salani, MD, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.
Advanced, or stage 4, endometrial cancer means the disease has already spread to other organs.
At this point, the disease is still treatable, but treatment is rarely curative and is often aimed at minimizing symptoms and preventing further spread of the cancer.
Women with advanced endometrial cancer might experience these symptoms:
- Pelvic discomfort
- Unexplained weight loss
- A feeling of fullness in the pelvis
- Vaginal bleeding
Black Women Face Much Higher Death Rates From Endometrial Cancer
About 81 percent of women with endometrial cancer live at least five years after diagnosis. For white women, that number is slightly higher, at 84 percent. For Black women, however, it drops significantly, to just 63 percent.
This means that a Black woman diagnosed with endometrial cancer is more likely to die from the condition than a white woman, says Tomeka Roberts, MD, a board-certified gynecologist based in Birmingham, Alabama. According to research, Black women are about twice as likely to die from this disease than white women, making it one of the most distinct racial disparities seen in any type of cancer worldwide.
Great Job Maggie Aime, MSN, RN & the Team @ google-discover Source link for sharing this story.
