Disparities in Detection
A recent study found that the CA-125 blood test, used to detect ovarian cancer, is less likely to produce elevated levels in Black and Native American patients, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment.
This issue is compounded by systemic biases in medical research, with historical studies not adequately representing these groups, leading to misaligned thresholds for cancer detection.
Call for Change
Researchers propose new lower thresholds for the CA-125 test, aimed at improving early detection across all racial and ethnic groups, which could reduce disparities in diagnosis and treatment.
The study underscores the importance of stratifying medical research by race and ethnicity to ensure equitable healthcare outcomes, particularly in populations with significantly different cancer survival rates.