A West Chester doctor is working with the American Cancer Society on a historic new study to determine why Black women have high cancer death rates, writes Stephanie Stahl for CBS News Philadelphia.
“Very few African American women have been included in the research that underpins a lot of the treatment, the medicines,” said Anthonise Fields, Ph.D. “We need to supplement the data with focused study on Black women. So we can understand the full spectrum of what are the factors and the combination of factors that actually causes cancer.”
The study is called Voices of Black Women. It will include 100,000 healthy Black women in an effort to understand why their cancer survival rates are so much lower.
Fields lost her father to cancer as well and is working with her 14-year-old daughter to make a difference. She will be recruiting Black women for the study from around the Philadelphia region.
“Your voice is the key to changing lives forever,” she said. “That’s the main mission and that is the main mission of this.”
The participants in the American Cancer Society study will be followed for 30 years.
Read more about Dr. Anthonise Fields’ study with the American Cancer Society at CBS News Philadelphia.
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