National Cancer Institute

Black Women Needed for Breast Cancer Study

Washington Afro American, News Feature, Alafaka Opuiyo, Posted: Aug 16, 2007

Editor's note: Lack of trust in the American medical system still negatively affects the number of African-American women participants in medical studies.

Millions of women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, especially black women. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is conducting the country's largest study that looks at genetics and environment to assess the risk of breast cancer called the Sister Study. Women who have sisters with breast cancer are used for the study.

Since the study started in October 2004, it has recruited over 38,000 women, but only 5 percent of them are black women. In Washington, D.C., only 35 black women have signed up to participate in the study.

"Recruitment of African-American women has been slow but steady," Carrissa Dixon, Sister Study's recruitment coordinator said. "I think fear and a lack of trust [prevent] black women from participating."

Dixon is responsible for disseminating information about the study to black women. She said that most breast cancer research is conducted with white women, and that it is important for black women to participate in these studies so they are represented in the findings.

Churches, black hair salons and black hair shows are some of the venues Dixon has used to sign women up for the study.