Donna Gray-Banks, a breast cancer survivor, hopes Black women will participate in the study. Dr. Tiffany Carson, right, says the knowledge to be gained from VOICES “will truly be transformative.’’
The American Cancer Society is looking for Black women to participate in a groundbreaking study. The study, called VOICES of Black Women, is designed to enlighten medical professionals on cancer development among Black women and outcomes that are not currently well understood.
It seeks to enroll 100,000 Black women who’ve never had cancer before and will ask them comprehensive questions related to their health and lifestyle twice a year, over a period of 30 years. The participants are between ages 25 to 55. The study is the first large cancer co-hort study focused specifically on Black women.
Donna Gray-Banks, 70, a breast cancer survivor from Palm Coast, hopes the survey will lead to medical advancements. She was one of the lucky ones who caught her breast cancer early.
“Considering I was diagnosed in December and rang the bell in June 2024 without seeing one melanated person, I hope their studies assist with the treatment of information because having someone who looks like you during the curing and healing process is sometimes unseen,” Gray-Banks told the Florida Courier.
‘Do it now’
She hopes Black women will participate.
“Do it now. It is only through these surveys, questionnaires and clinical trials that medical advancement is made,” Gray-Banks said.
She also recommended Black women get a BRCA test if there is anyone in their family who has had breast cancer before.
The test looks for DNA changes that could increase the risk of breast or ovarian cancer by using a sample of blood or saliva, according to the Mayo Clinic. Gray-Banks said no one in her family had breast cancer. Doctors believe her obesity led to her cancer diagnosis.
“We have to start eating better, exercising and finding ways to find peace in our lives,” said Gray-Bank, an East Florida community leader. An author, she also is the founder and director of the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival held annually in Daytona Beach.
For others, the cause of the cancer is not immediately known, and many are dying because of it. According to the American Cancer Society, Black women under age 50 are twice as likely to die of breast cancer than white women.
Black women are also 8 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than white women, but 12 percent more likely to die if diagnosed, the non-profit’s latest statistics state.
‘A critical resource’
That’s why Dr. Tiffany Carson, the program co-leader for Health Outcomes and Behavior at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, feels this VOICES of Black Women study is so important.
She got involved with the hope that research addresses the drivers of the “worst cancer outcomes among Black women.”
“The knowledge to be gained from VOICES will truly be transformative. As a Black woman, I also wanted to do my part to ensure that the population of interest, Black women, was represented in the scientific team,” said Carson, Ph.D., MPH.
“This will be a critical resource to understand why Black women are more likely to die from cancer than other racial and ethnic groups even when incidence is similar.”
Underrepresented in research
Carson is on the study’s Scientific Advisory Board. In this role, she works closely with researchers and members of the board to ensure questions are scientifically and culturally relevant and she assists with participant recruitment.
“The results will provide valuable insights into the di- verse lived experiences of Black women in the United States, which will be critical to inform culturally relevant prevention and treatment strategies to reduce the disproportionate cancer burden experienced by Black women. Results from VOICES will also be used to better understand other health outcomes of Black women,” Carson related.
The study asks participants to complete a 45-to-60-minute survey upon enrolling and then a 30-minute survey twice a year thereafter.
“It can be challenging to enroll individuals in research studies. …However, we hope that Black women will see this as an opportunity to contribute their voices to research in a way that will impact and improve health for generations to come,” Carson said.
“For far too long, Black women have been underrepresented in scientific research which may limit the ability of this group to benefit from scientific discoveries. This study is an opportunity for the voices of Black women to be heard which will lead to a better understanding of cancer development and survivorship specifically as it relates to Black women.’’
She added, “This is an opportunity to impact the health of Black women for generations to come so that our children, grandchildren, and nieces live in a world with less cancer burden among Black women.’’
To enroll in the study, head to https://studyportal.cancer.org/enroll/voices.