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 30 August 2008 14:49 BST

Uterine cancer survival chances 'affected by race'

Monday, 25 Sep 2006 12:52
Disparities found between womb cancer in African-American and Causcasian women

Health In Focus 

African-American women are less likely than their Caucasian counterparts to survive uterine cancer for a greater length of time, a new study has found.

Uterine cancer, which affects the lining and muscle layers in the womb, is diagnosed in roughly 6,000 people each year in the UK, causing more than 1,500 deaths annually.

A review of four clinical trials published in the November 1st issue of the journal Cancer found that even with similar diagnoses and treatments, African-American women have a 26 per cent greater risk of death than Caucasian women.

Researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington, DC, found that African-Americans survived a median of 10.6 months compared to 12.2 months among Caucasians.

African-Americans were also found to be more likely to show more serious signs of disease, including stage four disease and higher tumour grade.

The study's authors concluded: "While the causes of this survival difference remain to be elucidated, socioeconomic, biologic and cultural etiologies [causes] may be involved."

Ethical and racial differences have been observed in other cancers, including breast and colon cancers. Analysis of the disparity in the seriousness and survival rates of these cancers suggests that part of the reason may be related to inequality of access to healthcare and cultural variations in response to disease.End of story


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