Lack of health insurance means many Black women are more likely to put off seeking medical attention and having regular preventive screenings, which may contribute to later diagnoses and surgical interventions. Black women in particular also face higher odds of being misdiagnosed even when they do seek medical care.
There may also be a biological component that leads to worse outcomes. Certain genetic differences in tumors between those found in Black women and those found in White women include mutations in what are known as tumor suppressor genes. These are genes that slow cell division, repair DNA mistakes, and tell cells when to die. This can lead to out-of-control cell growth and cancer.
See “Many Women Get Endometrial Cancer, But Black Women Are Twice as Likely to Die—Here’s Why” by Maggie O’Neil on the Health website (April 7, 2021)
