MIAMI – Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are finding disparities in care for minority women with a group of disorders that affect female pelvic health.

Dr. Raveen Syan, a urologist with UHealth’s Desai Sethi Urology Institute, said that up to 40 percent of women suffer from conditions such as organ prolapse, urinary incontinence and bladder pain, but her study found that minorities are less likely to receive treatment than white women.

“And the number one reasons they state is they weren’t aware of treatment options, they didn’t know where to seek care and also among black women especially we found that black women with pelvic floor disorders were much more likely to report unmet health related social needs compared to other minorities,” she said.

Syan said the next step is working to improve outreach and access to care for minority women with pelvic floor disorders.

And scientists have found a new mechanism to prevent the recurrence of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

Researchers have discovered how a protein found in aging or damaged lung tissues can trigger dormant cancer cells to re-awaken and develop into tumors.

When they used an existing cancer drug to block the protein, lung tumor growth was significantly reduced.

Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer is the most common breast cancer type, accounting for up to 80 percent of all cases of the disease in women.

And scientists have found a new mechanism to prevent the recurrence of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

Researchers have discovered how a protein found in aging or damaged lung tissues can trigger dormant cancer cells to re-awaken and develop into tumors.

When they used an existing cancer drug to block the protein, lung tumor growth was significantly reduced.

Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer is the most common breast cancer type, accounting for up to 80 percent of all cases of the disease in women.