The American Cancer Society on Tuesday launched an important new initiative to help more Black women survive cancer.
The initiative is called the Voices of Black Women Initiative and it will be the country’s largest ever population study of cancer risk and outcomes in Black women.
Researchers are asking cancer-free Black women from diverse backgrounds to participate.
The data collected will help doctors better understand the unique experiences of Black women that may affect their risk of developing or dying from cancer.
“We are enrolling a very ambitious goal of over 100,000 cancer free women to go along this journey with us for the next several decades,” said Dr. Alpa Patel with the American Cancer Society. “And the study is going to be truly transformative in helping us learn why black women have some of the highest death rates and shortest survival of any racial ethnic group in the United States for most cancers.”
“By doing a study like this, it raises awareness, provides research so that people don’t feel alone and it gives an opportunity of hope,” said study participant Kathy Lucas. “I’m hoping that this will help Black women learn more and learn earlier how to manage through cancer scares.”
Experts hope the findings from this study will drive efforts to improve the health of Black women who have historically been underrepresented in medical research.
7’s Amaka Ubaka is going to be part of the study. If you would like to participate too, visit the American Cancer Society’s website.
Study participants must be between the ages of 25 and 55 and must have been cancer free for their entire lives.
Researchers plan to check in with all participants twice a year for the next 30 years.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)