A new study will examine the long-term impact that cancer treatment has on the lives of the women, and what part social interaction plays in a successful recovery.
News — Endometrial cancer statistics are grim for Black women: They are twice as likely to die from it than are white women. It is the largest racial disparity among gynecologic cancers.
Black women are also more likely to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer at a later stage, and to require more aggressive therapy after the cancer is discovered, according to Dr. , a Fred Hutch/UW Medicine OB-GYN and oncologist. She is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“Endometrial cancer is unlike almost any other cancer,” she said. “By 2030, it will be one of the top three cancers among women and folks with a uterus. It will be more common than colon cancer.”
After diagnosis, Black women with endometrial cancer face an uphill climb to obtain equal medical care. They are less likely to receive surgery at every stage of the disease. Their chance of seeing a Black gynecologic oncologist is nearly zero, given that only 3% of those U.S. practitioners are Black. Many Black women also hesitate to seek care or continue treatment due to prior demeaning experiences with reproductive healthcare and the history of healthcare abuses against Black women, Doll said.
Risk factors that might affect Black women’s endometrial-cancer outcomes include higher rates of aggressive tumor subtypes and delayed diagnoses. Doll identified another variable: social isolation. Black are especially at risk for social isolation due to cultural, socioeconomic and physical stressors, she asserted.
Newly funded research by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will study 250 women over five years to find out how they fare after their diagnosis and the extent social support, or lack thereof, plays a part in their recovery and survival. The $6.8 million study will begin in September and continue through 2030.
This new study is the long-term follow-up of the (SISTER) study, which was launched by Doll and her team at four years ago. The ongoing study is the first randomized controlled trial of its kind. It is testing peer-support strategies for Black women with endometrial cancer to see if it increases completion rates to complete the often long and complicated treatment regimens.
In the original study, participants were assigned randomly to one of three groups: one-on-one peer support, facilitated support groups, and usual care enhanced with a care package. The first SISTER study began in 2021.
This new stage of the study will examine the long-term impact that cancer treatment has on the lives of the women, and what part social interaction plays in a successful recovery.
“We’ve enrolled this cohort for the last four years. Now we’re going to follow them for another five years to look at treatment, relapse rates, and quality of life,” Doll said.
Currently there are SISTER participants being enrolled at 13 health centers throughout the country, including Seattle, where the study is based.
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