American Cancer Society VOICES of Black Women Study Update For Black History Month - An Urgent Message

American Cancer Society VOICES of Black Women – the Largest U.S. Study of Black Women – Seeks 100,000 Black Women to Impact Cancer Disparities and Change the Future of Cancer as We Know It. voices.cancer.org.

Black women have a 38% higher mortality risk from breast cancer, 12% more likely to die from cancer, and twice as likely to die from uterine cancer than white women.

WHAT: VOICES of Black Women, a groundbreaking study led by the American Cancer Society, is a collective commitment to understanding and improving the health of Black women across the nation for generations to come.

Let your VOICE be heard in Maryland by enrolling in VOICES of Black Women, if you are:

• A Black woman
• Between the ages of 25 and 55
• Who has never been diagnosed with cancer

The American Cancer Society (ACS) launched VOICES of Black Women®, the largest behavioral and environmental focused population study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women in the U.S. in May 2024. Designed to better understand the multi-level drivers of cancer incidence, mortality, and resilience within this demographic, the long-term study will gather valuable data to help improve the overall health of Black women for generations to come. Despite significant strides in cancer research, Black women have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. for most cancers.

ACS aims to enroll over 100,000 Black women. Thus far, approximately 5,600 women in the U.S. and 200 women in Ohio have enrolled. A global leader in cancer research, ACS has a 70-year history of funding and conducting some of the world’s largest and most impactful population cohort studies to understand how cancer develops in populations, identify cancer risk factors, and improve survivorship and outcomes after diagnosis. OWN TV joined the effort to promote the VOICES study.

Eligibility: Must identify as Black, be assigned female at birth or self-identify as women, not have a history of cancer (except basal or squamous skin cancer), and be ages 25 to 55. Enrollees will provide informed consent and answer behavioral, environmental, and lived experience questions through periodic short surveys delivered via a secure online portal. No medication, clinical testing, treatment, or lifestyle changes are part of the study.

BACKGROUND: Led by American Cancer Society researchers, Dr. Alpa Patel and Dr. Lauren McCullough, “The VOICES of Black Women study represents a crucial step toward achieving health equity in a population that is long overdue,” said Patel, co-principal investigator of the study and SVP of population science at ACS. “By centering Black women’s voices and experiences, we can dig deeper in uncovering the unique challenges and barriers contributing to cancer disparities and develop tailored interventions to mitigate them."

To learn more about the VOICES of Black Women® study and how to participate, please visit voices.cancer.org.

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About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.