A new initiative aims to improve the health and survival of Black women through a study that encourages them to participate in cancer research.

Ashaki Antoine, a 15-year breast cancer survivor, is hoping thousands of Black women will join the American Cancer Society’s Voices of Black Women study.

Antoine, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35, knows firsthand how critical early detection and research can be.

“I was asleep, and in my dream, I felt a throbbing in my breast. When I woke up, there was no pain, but I went directly to the tumor,” she said.

Now cancer-free for 15 years, Antoine dedicates her time to helping others navigate their cancer journeys.

“The goal is to eradicate cancer forever, but we know it’s something we have to address now. More people are dying from it,” she said.

Black women face the highest mortality rates from cancer, and the American Cancer Society hopes to change that through its new study. The study aims to recruit 100,000 Black women to examine factors that affect their health.

"If we take Black women, for example, there's a much higher use of chemical straighteners. If we don't include a population of Black women in studies where products like that are widely used, we wouldn't be able to study their impact," said Dr. Alpa Patel, co-principal investigator for Voices of Black Women at the American Cancer Society.

The Voices of Black Women study will follow participants between the ages of 25 and 55 living without cancer to observe lifestyle factors and health outcomes over time.

Although Antoine won’t be signing up herself, she’s encouraging her family and others to participate.

For more information on the study and how to sign up go here: https://voices.cancer.org/