African American women are three times more likely to develop uterine cancer and more than twice as likely to die from it than Caucasian women. There are two forms of uterine cancer, cervical and endometrial. Both forms, however, can be cured. Cervical cancer develops in the neck of the uterus. Although it is most common in women over 25, it can occur in younger women.
Endometrial cancer develops in the tissue lining the uterus.
It is most common in older women, usually after age 50. Your best protection against cervical cancer is the Pap test. It helps your doctor detect this cancer at its earliest stage. The Pap test is an examination of cells normally shed from the body of the uterus and cervix. After a woman has had three or more consecutive satisfactory, normal annual examinations, the test may be performed less frequently at the discretion of her physician.