The American Cancer Society (ACS) has announced the VOICES of Black Women study. The groundbreaking initiative is the largest behavioral and environmental-focused population study targeting cancer risk and outcomes among Black women. This project is designed to fill critical gaps in understanding and addressing health disparities.
ACS will enroll over 100,000 Black women aged 25 to 55 from diverse backgrounds for the study. It will explore how behavioral, environmental, and lived experiences impact cancer risks and resilience.
According to ACS Senior Vice President of Population Science and co-principal investigator, Dr. Alpa Patel, “VOICES of Black Women® represents a crucial step toward achieving health equity in a population that is long overdue.”
A Long-Overdue Focus on Cancer in Black Women
Despite major advancements in cancer research, Black women continue to face significant health inequities. They experience the highest cancer-related death rates and shortest survival times of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. The ACS has a history of conducting impactful population studies. However, this is the first project of its kind that centers Black women’s voices and unique experiences.
Dr. Lauren McCullough, co-principal investigator and epidemiologist, emphasized the importance of this approach.
“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,” she explained.
Recruitment began in October 2023 with pilots in Atlanta, GA, and Hampton Roads, VA. The study has now expanded to 20 states and Washington, D.C. These locations are where 90 percent of Black women in the U.S. reside. Participants will complete short, periodic surveys over 30 years. The study will not involve medications, clinical testing, or lifestyle changes.
A Vision for Health Equity
This ambitious study aims to uncover the drivers behind persistent disparities in cancer outcomes and mortality rates among Black women. Dr. Patel highlighted that past ACS research linked smoking to lung cancer and red meat to colon cancer. Those discoveries have saved countless lives. However, the benefits of such breakthroughs have not been evenly distributed.
“The data we’ve uncovered through previous population studies has been critical in reducing the unacceptably high burden of cancer, but that reduction has sadly not been equal,” Patel explained.
The VOICES of Black Women study seeks to change that. It will ensure that the benefits of cancer research extend to all communities.
Eligible participants must identify as Black, have been assigned female at birth or self-identify as women, and have no history of cancer other than certain types of skin cancer. For more details and to join this historic effort, visit the study’s website.