⚽ Get the latest World Cup news
Receive updates on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Black women are disproportionately impacted by cancer — especially breast and cervical cancer. Now, Black women in Massachusetts can take part in a multi-state study, which is planning to cover at least the next 30 years of their lives.
The “VOICES of Black Women” is a study led by the American Cancer Society to investigate exactly why Black women die of certain cancers more than any other racial and ethnic group, and what factors in their lives could be the cause of the mortality.
“There’s so many women who could talk about experiences through, their doctors, through their lifestyles, that could help the future women,” said Nekia Clark, director of patient services and outreach at the Ellie Fund, a Needham-based nonprofit that works to support people diagnosed with breast cancer.
To register, Black women must be between the ages of 25 to 55 and never had cancer. They will be followed by researchers to see how Black women’s medical history, lifestyle, and encounters with racism impact their risks of the disease.
The goal is to enroll at least 100,000 women across 20 states and Washington, D.C. Once qualifications are met, women can participate by completing an online health and life history survey and updating health information twice a year for at least 30 years.
Image courtesy of American Cancer Society
Breast cancer kills Black women at a 40% higher rate than white women, according to the National Cancer Institute. For cervical cancer, that number is 60% more likely, according to a report in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
“VOICES of Black Women represents a crucial step toward achieving health equity in a population that is long overdue,” said Dr. Alpa Patel, co-principal investigator of the study and senior vice president of population science at the American Cancer Society. “By centering Black women’s voices and experiences, we can dig deeper in uncovering the unique challenges and barriers contributing to cancer disparities and develop tailored interventions to mitigate them.”
Clark is also a breast cancer survivor and had her disease caught early. But she lost her mother to a resurgence of cancer in 2020. Clark said she tells countless Black women that it’s important to advocate for themselves.
“If you’re educated on your health, you’re able to advocate for yourself to your doctor and know if that doctor is not listening to you, you can go to another doctor who will listen.”
Clark said she often hears that “it’s a wait and watch” approach for Black female patients. They go into some doctor’s office’s with symptoms of breast cancer, and they’re told to “just keep watching it.” The gaslighting can have catastrophic impacts, she said.
“It results in an early-stage cancer becoming a late-stage cancer where it’s metastatic. And they have to continue treatment for the rest of their life and eventually they will die from the disease.”
Jani Raynor, 46, is a year into remission from breast cancer. She has several female and male friends in other states who felt like their doctors didn’t listen to their concerns about symptoms. While she didn’t have diagnoses issues, Raynor said she suffered from a lack of support to get preventive care in Massachusetts.
“I never felt like I was encouraged to make sure that I was getting my mammogram or that I was doing self-examinations,’’ she said. “I definitely do those because I have breast cancer history in my family.”
Local providers say the study is important, especially given the lack of focus on Black women historically in clinical trials.
“We know that a lot of the reasons why these rates for Black women are related to systemic racism,” said Rachel Preiss, a women’s health nurse practitioner at The Dimock Center in Roxbury. “We know that it occurs on multiple levels, and we know that that leads to multiple avenues of missing breast cancer in patients.”
The Dimock Center, she said, is less involved with treatment, and more involved in preventive care. That means making sure women have mammograms, and ordering exams that could diagnose cancer early. Sometimes, that means being a patient’s second opinion.
“For cancer and everything else, I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve sat with a patient, and they told me that another provider just didn’t listen to them,” Preiss said.
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
See Also:
A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
Local News
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
Receive updates on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
House votes to rein in Trump on Iran as war loses GOP support
Police investigate deadly stabbing in Tarzana; suspect in custody
Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot
Retired San Francisco firefighter dies from lung cancer after Blue Shield denies treatment claims
Trackdown: Dallas 7-Eleven robbery suspect wanted
This new Italian restaurant in Brickell only has 10 items on the menu
Visiting Boston this summer? Here are 8 navigation tips you need to know.
Denver-ish Central Market? RiNo food hall vendors claim they’ve been pushed out