Presseau Group
Cancer While Black
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. Systemic barriers negatively affect cancer care access and outcomes for Black communities. Black women in particular experience significantly higher mortality rates and are more likely to be diagnosed at younger ages and at more advanced stages, particularly for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. These outcomes are closely linked to systemic racism, delayed diagnoses, access to services, negative interactions with healthcare providers, including medical mistrust and the dismissal of symptoms. Poor outcomes persist past diagnosis, throughout survivorship, contributing to unmet needs in post-treatment care, such as emotional and informational support, continuity of care, and navigation of follow-up and symptom management services. These experiences among Black women affect their quality of life and highlight gaps in supportive care.
This study aims to amplify community strengths and identify ways to better support Black women navigating cancer care in Ottawa. It is divided into two main components. The Pathway Mapping component seeks to map out existing cancer care pathways and programs in Ottawa and assess the extent to which they are tailored to support Black women. The Community Interviews component focuses on the lived experiences of Black women in Ottawa, where the African, Caribbean, and Black population is steadily growing but remains underrepresented in cancer research.
By understanding their experiences, our work seeks to improve access to culturally responsive support services, and overall cancer care experiences for Black women, contributing to broader efforts to advance health equity in Canada. This program of work is led by Dr. Justin Presseau, with research coordination by Emily Gibson and clinical research assistance by Michelle Awuku-Asabre.
Our Partners:
Toni Jacobs, Executive Director of the African, Caribbean, and Black Wellness Resource Centre
Our team is leveraging the work that has already been done by the ACB Wellness Resource Centre to raise awareness for cancer in local ACB communities. Among these include this docuseries film that highlights systemic barriers and captures the lived experiences and resilience of those impacted by cancer.
Funder:
The project is funded by the Ottawa Cancer Foundation.
Project Updates (last updated April 29th 2026)
We are now recruiting Black Women living in Ottawa for conversations about cancer screening and post treatment support. The conversation topics include cancer screening (women who have been screened or have never been screened for cancer) and access to cancer support (for women who have received a cancer diagnosis). For more information about participating in these 1:1 conversations , please email us: cancerwhileblack@ohri.ca
Consent Forms
Have you talked with our team about participating? Download the consent forms here.