News
Researchers identify breast cancer risk factors for younger black women
Black women under the age of 45 are at increased risk for an aggressive form of breast cancer [estrogen receptor (ER) negative] if they experienced a high number of pregnancies, never breast fed, and/or had higher waist-to-hip ratio.
Seeking better understanding of breast cancer in African American women
Why do African American women die at higher rates from breast cancer and experience more aggressive breast tumors than white women?
School of Public Health researchers affiliated with the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) have received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to explore this question. The new grant is based on the premise that having a better understanding of the biology of breast cancer in African American women will lead to better prevention and treatment.
BU researcher awarded grant to better understand breast cancer
Why do African-American women die at a higher rate and experience more aggressive breast tumors than white women? Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) have received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to explore this question. The new grant is based on the premise that having a better understanding of the biology of breast cancer in African-American women will lead to better prevention and treatment.
Black women with fibroids face elevated risk of endometrial cancer
Black women with a history of uterine fibroids had a 40 percent higher risk of endometrial cancer, according to a study led by School of Public Health researchers with the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.
Female hormone supplements with estrogen and progestin linked to breast cancer risk
Postmenopausal African American women who use female hormone supplements containing estrogen and progestin ("combination" therapy) are at an increased risk for estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
Yvette Cozier named Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Boston University School of Public Health
Professor Cozier is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and an epidemiologist at the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University. Her extraordinary record of service around this topic within BU, her research interests, and her ability to build and foster multidisciplinary collaborations make Professor Cozier uniquely well suited for this position.
Edward Ruiz-Narváez elected to National Academy of Sciences of Costa Rica
Edward Ruiz-Narváez, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Costa Rica.
New model better predicts breast cancer risk in African American women
Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have developed a breast cancer risk prediction model for African-American women that found greater accuracy in predicting risk for the disease. The use of this model could result in increased eligibility of African Americans in breast cancer prevention trials.
Birth weight and diabetes
African-Americans born at low birth weight are at an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes later in life, a new study has found.
Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health followed more than 21,000 women ages 21 to 69 who were enrolled in a large study of African-American women’s health for 16 years. Some 2,388 of them developed Type 2 diabetes.
Increased risk of birth defects from opioid use
Although potential risks to a developing fetus remain largely unknown, doctors are prescribing opioid painkillers to pregnant women in startling numbers. A recent study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows a staggering 23 percent of 1.1 million pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid nationally filled an opioid, or narcotic, prescription in 2007—up from 18.5 percent in 2000. That is the largest usage rate of opioid prescriptions among pregnant women to date.
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