Ovarian Cancer for Women of Color
Ovarian Cancer Survival:
- Between 1960 and 1992, the ovarian
cancer survival rate increased by 14% for Caucasian women and only 8% for
African American women.
- National statistics show that
from 1990 to 1996, African American women had a lower incidence of ovarian
cancer than either Hispanic women or Asian/Pacific Islanders, but had higher
death rates from ovarian cancer than either of these two groups.
- African American women, who
have much lower ovarian cancer incidence rates than Caucasian women, are less
likely than their Caucasian counterparts to survive five or more years with
this disease, regardless of the stage at diagnosis.
- African American women are more
commonly diagnosed with widespread, and therefore advanced stage, ovarian
masses than Caucasian women.
- African American, Hawaiian,
and Alaskan native women have overall cancer mortality rates that are at least
40% higher than other minority populations.
Ovarian Cancer Incidence:
- Between 1988 and 1992, Native American women had ovarian cancer incidence
rates that were higher than those of Caucasian women or any other minority
group, while Chinese women were more likely to have the disease than African
American or Hispanic women.
Health Care Access
& Ovarian Cancer:
- African American, Asian &
Pacific Islander, Native American, and Hispanic women are less likely than
Caucasian women to have a comprehensive health care plan, which may prevent
them from receiving early diagnosis and proper treatment of ovarian cancer.
- From 1991 through 1998 in our
nation's capital, African American women represented two-thirds of all deaths
from ovarian cancer, while far more cases were diagnosed in Caucasian women.
[Information adapted from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance]
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Created: 5/24/2001  - Donnica Moore, M.D.
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