Why do Black women have the highest death rate for most cancers?

NEW YORK - The American Cancer Society is trying to find out why Black women have the highest death rate for most cancers.

For example, they are twice as likely as White women to get stomach cancer, and 2.3 times more likely to die from it. Scientists aren’t sure why.

That’s why they want to follow at least 100,000 Black women for 30 years as part of a massive study, called Voices of Black Women.

There are certain requirements to sign up to participate. Eligible participants must be between 25-55 years old, have not had cancer with the exception of basal or squamous cell skin cancer, and live in one of 20 states where the study is taking place. Those states are: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

The American Cancer Society says study participants will share “behavioral, environmental and lived experiences through surveys taken at least twice a year.”

“By agreeing to this research, you’ll be asked about various aspects of your life, from childhood to adulthood. All questions are optional, but every insight you share will fuel our research to understand the health of Black women better,” the ACS wrote on their website.

There’s no fee for enrolling, nor is there any financial compensation for participating.

The ACS says the study is important because “for generations, Black women have not been equally included in important health research resulting in a lack of information Black women’s health.”

“This isn’t just a study; it’s a collective commitment to understanding and improving the health of Black women across the nation. And that change starts with you,” the ACS wrote.