Posted: Apr 1, 2012 9:48 AM by Matt Stafford Updated: Apr 1,
2012 10:50 AM CHICAGO (AP) - New research might help explain why
black women are so much more likely than whites to develop and
die from cervical cancer. The research finds that blacks seem to
have more trouble clearing HPV, the virus that causes the
disease. Researchers have long thought that less access to
health care makes blacks more vulnerable to cervical cancer. But
the new study suggests that there might also be a biological
reason. Doctors say that if other research confirms that
finding, the HPV vaccine would become even more important for
black women. The vaccine is recommended for all girls starting
at age 11. The study involved students at the University of
South Carolina in Columbia. Results were discussed Sunday at an
American Association for Cancer Research conference in Chicago.