CLEVELAND — A groundbreaking study aimed at understanding why Black women in the U.S. are more likely to die from certain cancers than any other racial or ethnic group is gaining traction in Ohio, with participation nearly doubling in 10 months.
The American Cancer Society's Voices of Black Women study, the largest of its kind, aims to survey 100,000 Black women nationwide about their lived experiences. The goal is to address the historical underrepresentation of Black women in medical research.
"The treatments that are designed and made, the public health prevention messages that come out, don't always resonate with our communities," said Dr. Lauren McCullough, PhD, MSPH, co-principal investigator of the study.
When I first reported on this study in December 2024, more than 2,728 women had signed up nationally, with 88 being from Ohio.
Ten months later, as of October 2025, that number has nearly doubled to 5,199 nationwide, with 177 of them in the Buckeye State.
The study formally launched in May 2024, but a small pilot started years before with women in Atlanta, Georgia and Hampton Roads, Virginia.
"Once we get to about 10% of our goal we can start to do some real scientific work, so 10,000," McCullough said.
The information gathered so far shows women representing every state in the country, including Washington D.C. Most women who have partners are still heads of their households, and most Black women have disproportionately had to use toxic personal care products like deodorants and hair relaxers, according to McCullough.
Dr. Bianca Islam, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University, serves as an ambassador for the study. She specializes in colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease research.
"One of the issues is underrepresentation of Black women in studies historically for years," Islam said. "I've always been really passionate about the gastrointestinal system, so the GI tract, and learning how the healthy cells get disrupted and get affected and turn into cancer," Islam said.
She also has family members who've battled cancer. She believes the long-term impact of this research will benefit future generations.
"We might not see those direct benefits in our time but it's going to affect our grandchildren, our granddaughters our aunts our sisters, so I think the work is important, the work is valuable and it can give insight so we can make some actual changes in how we get diagnosed," Islam said.
The Voices of Black Women study is an online health and life history survey. Participants update information twice a year for at least 30 years. It's open to women aged 25 to 55 years old who have not personally had a history of cancer, except certain skin cancers.
The American Cancer Society is looking to recruit more than 3,100 women in Ohio.
If you’d like to sign up, CLICK HERE.
