# A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women

> **NIH NIH U01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2021 · $3,030,026

## Abstract

African-American (AA) women have a higher incidence of many cancers (e.g., colon, pancreas) and higher
cancer mortality (e.g., breast, colon, pancreas) relative to other American women, and many of these
differences are unexplained. The Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), the largest follow-up study of AA
women, was begun in 1995 to provide relevant information on these racial disparities. 59,000 AA women ages
21-69 from 17 states enrolled by completing health questionnaires. The BWHS has successfully followed them
for cancer through biennial questionnaires and linkage to 24 cancer registries in the states in which >95% of
participants live. Data have been collected on numerous potential risk factors (e.g, medical, reproductive,
lifestyle, psychosocial, socioeconomic, air pollution). Cancer diagnoses are validated by hospital and cancer
registry pathology data. A DNA/oral microbiome biorepository contains saliva-mouthwash samples from 26,800
participants. Blood sample collection, in progress, has obtained blood samples from 9,300 participants to date
(14,000+ expected) . Breast tumor tissue has been collected for 750 incident breast cancers. The study has
identified 5,631 incident cancers to date, including 2,651 breast cancers. The study has published extensively
on nongenetic and genetic risk factors for breast cancer and other cancers. Because participants were young
at baseline (median age = 38), accrual of less common cancers was slow. Participants have now reached
ages of high cancer incidence, meaning that sufficient numbers will be accrued for informative assessment.
This infrastructure proposal has 3 aims: (1) continue and enhance follow-up and data collection in the BWHS,
adding information (including Medicare data) on cancer treatments and outcomes (2) manage and enhance
biologic sample collection by adding additional samples to the saliva/mouthwash and blood repositories,
collecting tumor tissue for all solid cancers in addition to breast cancer, collecting full-field digital prediagnostic
mammograms, and genotyping with a genome-wide array all incident cancer cases for which we have a DNA
sample (~2,800) together with an equal number of controls with DNA; (3) share the data in consortial projects.
Continuation of the BWHS is a high priority because: a) 89% of participants are still cancer-free due to the
young age at baseline; b) follow-up has been successful and unbiased ; c) the BWHS can assess the effects of
exposures (e.g., class 2 and class 3 obesity, premature birth, experiences of racism) that are less prevalent in
other populations; d) increasingly large numbers are needed to study scientific questions and BWHS genetic,
nongenetic, and biospecimen data will contribute to numerous consortia to study a range of cancers; e) the
BWHS has a record of high productivity; f) further work is needed to understand numerous racial disparities in
cancer incidence and survival. In sum, continuation of the BWHS will contribute appreciably to...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10248376
- **Project number:** 5U01CA164974-11
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie R Palmer
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $3,030,026
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-09-21 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10248376

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10248376, A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women (5U01CA164974-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10248376. Licensed CC0.

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