African-American Women More Likely to Die from Breast Cancer
For various reasons, women of African-American descent are more likely to die from breast cancer than their Caucasian counterparts. Recent findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicated that black women were nearly 20 percent more likely than white women to succumb to their disease. Researchers took into consideration variables such as socioeconomic status and disease stage.
Another study, conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, showed that women in minority groups – including Hispanics — were unlikely to receive complete follow-up treatment after breast cancer surgery. Treatments including radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy are often given as an extra precaution against recurrence.
The two studies were controlled for socioeconomic differences, the presence of other illnesses, and whether or not a woman had health insurance. The likelihood of not getting the best adjuvant therapy (follow-up care) was 16 percent among white women, 23 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent for blacks.
Further investigation is needed as to the role of biologic, genetic, and socio-cultural factors in breast cancer mortality among minority women, especially among black women. Progress toward reducing racial disparities in cancer deaths can be made by providing equal opportunities for breast cancer treatment.
Breast cancer screening and early detection play a vital role in finding and treating the disease at its most curable stage. Minority women often do not seek treatment or have access to care until breast cancer is in advanced stages.
Study Shows Stress May Be Cause of Early Miscarriage
Most miscarriages occur during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes women aren’t even aware they were pregnant.
They may think they were having an unusually heavy menstrual period. The cause of miscarriage is often due to health problems with the mother or defects in the developing fetus.
In a small study of 61 married women aged 18-32 in rural Guatemala, researchers measured cortisol levels in the women’s urine three times a week.
Measurements of this hormone produced by stress began before the women got pregnant and continued for three weeks post pregnancy. Over a year, 16 of these women had 22 pregnancies, in which 9 of them resulted in live births and 13 resulted in miscarriages.
This study found that miscarriages were 2.7 times more likely among women with high cortisol levels. Ninety percent of the women with high cortisol experienced miscarriages in the first three weeks of their pregnancy. Only 33 percent of women with normal stress levels miscarried in the first three weeks.
Researchers are calling for bigger studies to determine whether maternal stress contributes to miscarriage. Cortisol in the urine could indicate that a woman’s body isn’t in the best condition to carry a child to term.
Another study, conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, showed that women in minority groups – including Hispanics — were unlikely to receive complete follow-up treatment after breast cancer surgery. Treatments including radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy are often given as an extra precaution against recurrence.
The two studies were controlled for socioeconomic differences, the presence of other illnesses, and whether or not a woman had health insurance. The likelihood of not getting the best adjuvant therapy (follow-up care) was 16 percent among white women, 23 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent for blacks.
Further investigation is needed as to the role of biologic, genetic, and socio-cultural factors in breast cancer mortality among minority women, especially among black women. Progress toward reducing racial disparities in cancer deaths can be made by providing equal opportunities for breast cancer treatment.
Breast cancer screening and early detection play a vital role in finding and treating the disease at its most curable stage. Minority women often do not seek treatment or have access to care until breast cancer is in advanced stages.
Study Shows Stress May Be Cause of Early Miscarriage
Most miscarriages occur during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes women aren’t even aware they were pregnant.
They may think they were having an unusually heavy menstrual period. The cause of miscarriage is often due to health problems with the mother or defects in the developing fetus.
In a small study of 61 married women aged 18-32 in rural Guatemala, researchers measured cortisol levels in the women’s urine three times a week.
Measurements of this hormone produced by stress began before the women got pregnant and continued for three weeks post pregnancy. Over a year, 16 of these women had 22 pregnancies, in which 9 of them resulted in live births and 13 resulted in miscarriages.
This study found that miscarriages were 2.7 times more likely among women with high cortisol levels. Ninety percent of the women with high cortisol experienced miscarriages in the first three weeks of their pregnancy. Only 33 percent of women with normal stress levels miscarried in the first three weeks.
Researchers are calling for bigger studies to determine whether maternal stress contributes to miscarriage. Cortisol in the urine could indicate that a woman’s body isn’t in the best condition to carry a child to term.
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