A US study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology has found that the use of transvaginal ultrasound to detect womb cancer may not be as effective for Black women and therefore, diagnosis is made later and can lead to poorer outcomes.
Transvaginal ultrasound is a technique that uses sound waves to create images of a woman’s internal organs. This technique is a standard method for assessing the womb lining as part of investigations for suspected womb cancer.
Womb cancer is suspected when the lining of the womb (endometrium) is thickened. A thickness of below 4 millimetres is typically considered normal in postmenopausal women. However, a thicker measurement may prompt further investigation, such as a biopsy.
The Jama Oncology study reviewed ultrasound data from 1,500 Black women and found that nearly 10% of these patients would have been incorrectly assessed as low risk for cancer based on their ultrasound results alone. In part, this could be due to the higher prevalence of fibroids (benign muscle growths in the womb), which are more common in Black women, distorting ultrasound images and obscuring the presence of womb lining changes.
To improve outcomes for Black patients the study recommends that a tissue biopsy of the womb lining should be performed to investigate symptoms of womb cancer.
Peaches are pleased to hear of advances in womb cancer research and as always, we would encourage anyone experiencing abnormal vaginal bleeding to speak to their doctor.
Reference: Doll KM, Pike M, Alson J, et al. Endometrial Thickness as Diagnostic Triage for Endometrial Cancer Among Black Individuals. JAMA Oncol. Published online June 27, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.1891
