African-American women are the most affected by uterine cancer. Experts believe that the increase in obesity is contributing to the problem.
While most cancers are declining across the country, uterine cancer is a stubborn exception, and it adversely impacts African-American women, according to federal researchers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a weekly report that this increase is due in part to the crisis of obesity in the United States.
“There are numerous risk factors for uterine cancer.” “Dr Joseph Davis, an OB-GYN and the medical director of the Cayman Fertility Center in the Caribbean.
“Because the uterine lining is hormonally sensitive, people with higher-than-normal oestrogen levels are especially vulnerable, but “there are also social factors that contribute to this increase,” such as diabetes and obesity, which have become increasingly common since the introduction of processed foods into our diet”, he continued.
The fourth most common cancer in the world is said to be uterine and the seventh leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. According to the CDC, over 53,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2015.
The researchers discovered that the rate of new cases of uterine cancer increased by 0.7 percent per year from 1999 to 2015 and that death rates increased by 1.1 percent per year from 1999 to 2016, with non-Hispanic white women experiencing smaller increases than women from other racial or ethnic groups. While both black and white women had more new cases of uterine cancer than other racial/ethnic groups, black women had twice as many deaths from the disease.
“There is no denying that the number of deaths due to uterine cancer, particularly endometrial cancer, are greater in African-American women”, he said.
“The reason behind it is not entirely clear. One possible explanation is genetics. Another issue is healthcare access. Patients of colour who are poor or live in rural areas may not have equal access to care. The disease may have already spread by the time the tumours are discovered”, said Dr Michael Birrer, an oncologist and the director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent type of uterine cancer, and it most commonly affects women over the age of 55. When too much oestrogen is produced, cancer develops in the endometrium, the uterine lining.
Women who do not ovulate on a regular basis, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome or on hormone replacement therapy, are more vulnerable. Birth control pills are generally regarded as protective because they contain progesterone, which counteracts estrogen’s effects and inhibits the growth of abnormal endometrial cells.
“Obese women have higher systemic circulation oestrogen levels, which puts them at a higher risk,” Birrer explained.
Endometrial cancer is frequently identified in the early phase because it frequently causes unusual vaginal bleeding, which causes women to seek medical help. When endometrial cancer is detected early, a hysterectomy is frequently curative. Pelvic pain, bleeding between periods and bleeding after menopause is also common symptoms.
“While public health awareness is important, more research is needed to address all of the environmental and genetic factors that make a contribution to the disparity in occurrence between African-American women and other groups,” Birrer said.
