It's not news that there are many diseases that show racial differences in incidence, treatment success, and survival rates.  Ovarian cancer, however, shows one of the most glaring examples of racial disparity in medicine. 

Ovarian cancer remains a lethal diagnosis for many women.  But between 1960 and 1992, the ovarian cancer survival rate increased 14% for white women and only 8% for African American women.  Ironically, national statistics show that African American women have a much lower incidence of ovarian cancer than white or Hispanic women, but they have much higher death rates from ovarian cancer than either of these two groups.  In addition, African American women are less likely than white women to survive five years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, regardless of their stage of illness.  African American women are also more commonly diagnosed with more widespread and therefore more advanced stage ovarian cancer than are white women.

Like most cancers, survival from ovarian cancer is improved with earlier diagnosis and treatment.  For more information, click here.

Created: 7/11/2001  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.