Mia X Survived Cancer and a Surgical Mishap, Now She’s Raising Her Voice for Women’s Health
- Rap icon Mia X, 55, publicly shared her 2016 diagnosis of endometrial cancer—a disease that disproportionately affects Black women—and survived both the illness and a surgical mishap that temporarily blinded her in one eye.
- Her story underscores alarming research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, which says by 2050, Black women are projected to face significantly higher rates of uterine cancer and mortality, driven by systemic gaps in treatment and care.
- Another study published in the medical journal Cancer Control points to possible reasons behind the disparity in how endometrial cancer affects Black women, citing, “Black women receive less guideline-concordant treatment, undergo fewer hysterectomies, receive fewer minimally invasive procedures (which are considered standard of care), and experience higher rates of recurrence than white [women].”
- Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus. Symptoms typically associated with this type of cancer include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain.
- Endometrial cancer patients have had more treatment options in recent years, as new combination therapies are allowing them to live longer, healthier lives. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy have been shown to help slow disease progression compared to chemotherapy alone.
Young went public with her uterine cancer (also called endometrial cancer) diagnosis in 2016. Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus.
Between 2020 and 2050, cases are projected to rise for both White and Black women. For White women, rates are expected to increase from 57.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2018 to 74.2 per 100,000. Among Black women, the number is expected to climb from 56.8 to 86.9 per 100,000.
As for mortality, “among White women, the number of deaths from uterine cancer per 100,000 people is expected to rise from 6.1 in 2018 to 11.2 in 2050. For Black women, the rate is projected to increase from 14.1 to 27.9 per 100,000 during the same period.”
Another study published in the medical journal Cancer Control examined why Black women are at higher risk and noted that, “Relative to all other races, Black women receive less guideline-concordant treatment, undergo fewer hysterectomies, receive fewer minimally invasive procedures (which are considered standard of care), and experience higher rates of recurrence than white [women].”
To help close these gaps in care, researchers recommend increasing awareness of endometrial cancer symptoms and reducing delays in treatment—both for patients and healthcare providers.
Since her diagnosis, Young has used her platform as “The First Lady” of “No Limit,” the popular music group comprised of high-profile rappers, including music mogul Master P from the 1990s, to raise awareness of uterine endometrial cancer.
“I think about the harsh reality of the statistics. Add 5 years, 10 years to your age, and then say Damn! That’s still young, though. Women with cancer worry about their children, spouse, extended family, and friends. Sometimes we keep stuff to ourselves because the look in someone’s eyes who loves you is too much,” Young said in an Instagram post.
Young’s cancer treatment added an additional layer of gratitude when a mishap nearly blinded her.
“During surgery, the anesthesiologist taped my eyes wrong and ripped my cornea, so I was temporarily blinded in my left eye. I have 73% of my sight back in my eye, and my treatments and hysterectomy were a success. I am cancer-free, grateful, prayerful, and blessed to have God’s mercy,” Young said in an Instagram post.
Expert Resources to Help Patients Living With Endometrial Cancer
- Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer Patients Have New Hopeful Combination Therapy Option
- Combo Immunotherapy-Chemo Treatment May Help Slow Progression of Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Studies Show Promising Results
- Hope for Endometrial Cancer: FDA Approves Durvalumab/Chemotherapy Combination for Hard-to-Treat Advanced Disease
- ‘The Google Earth of Endometrial Cancer’ — a New, Molecular Snapshot Could Lead to Better Treatment of the Disease
Helping You Understand Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.
After a woman has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, her doctor will stage the cancer based on its spread within the body. A pelvic exam and imaging tests help your doctor learn if the cancer has spread or metastasized.
WATCH: Different Types of Endometrial Cancer
Some common risk factors for endometrial cancer include:
- Obesity
- Taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause
- Having never given birth or started menstruation at an early age
- Having a family history of endometrial cancer
Common symptoms of endometrial cancer may include:
- Pelvic pain: Some women may experience pain or discomfort in the pelvic area.
- Pain during intercourse: This symptom is less common but can occur in some cases.
- Unusual vaginal discharge: Watery or blood-tinged discharge may be a sign of endometrial cancer.
- Weight loss: Unexplained weight loss can sometimes be associated with cancer.
- Urinary problems: Difficulty or pain when urinating.
Endometrial Cancer Treatment Options
Treatment for endometrial cancer includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. Surgery is the most common treatment method.
“There are a lot of new exciting treatments for advanced endometrial cancer that we’ve just discovered over the last couple of years,” Dr. Dana Chase, gynecologic oncologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says.
“So even if you’re diagnosed with an advanced stage, ask your treating doctor what the latest treatments are, or even potentially, is there a clinical trial I can participate in for my endometrial cancer? … There’s a lot of research on new treatments for endometrial cancer, which is very exciting,” Dr. Chase continued.
The most common procedure is a hysterectomy, where the surgeon removes the uterus. They often also remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes in bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. This helps lower the risk of the cancer spreading or coming back.
WATCH: What to Know About Endometrial Cancer-Related Surgery
“Doctors usually treat early-stage endometrial cancer with surgery as the main approach,” explains Dr. B.J. Rimel, a gynecologic oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “During the surgery, doctors may also perform staging to see how far the cancer has spread. This involves taking out and examining nearby lymph nodes and tissues.”
Chemotherapy and radiation are options, particularly when the cancer is in more advanced stages.
Treating endometrial cancer with hormone therapy involves removing hormones or blocking their ability to help cancer cells grow. Targeted therapy treatment uses drugs designed to target specific cancer cells.
“Hormonal therapy commonly works because most endometrial cancers are estrogen receptor-positive,” Dr. Michael Toboni, an assistant professor in the division of gynecologic oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, tells SurvivorNet.
“So if you give progesterone, it can counteract the estrogen feeding the cancer. This is commonly given with multiple anti-estrogen medications or an anti-estrogen medication in combination with another medication that inhibits a common pathway in endometrial cancer.”
Each treatment method can have side effects, and the impact on the body may vary depending on the type of treatment. If you are undergoing treatment for endometrial cancer, discussing potential side effects with your doctor and strategies to minimize their impact is crucial.
Additional Endometrial Cancer Treatment Options
In recent years, endometrial cancer patients have seen an increasing number of treatment options emerge to make battling the disease more manageable.
WATCH: New Combination Therapy for Advanced Endometrial Cancer Patients
The impact of new combination therapies on advanced endometrial cancer – a type of cancer that affects the lining of the uterus – is a significant advance for treating the disease. Patients are living longer, healthier lives.
Durvalumab (brand name IMFINZI) is an immunotherapy drug that’s often used alongside chemotherapy.
Olaparib (brand name LYNPARZA) is a PARP inhibitor, a type of drug that helps treat some cancers by blocking an enzyme called PARP that helps repair damaged DNA in cells. Olaparib destroys cancer cells, especially cells that already have trouble repairing their DNA. Sometimes, it’s used as an add-on to durvalumab.
“For a long time, patients with early-stage endometrial cancer generally do very well with a combination of surgery, maybe some radiotherapy,” says Dr. Shannon Westin, a professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
“However, there’s a population of patients who are diagnosed at a later stage, stage three or four, or who have their cancer come back after initial therapy. And those patients have had a really hard time,” she adds.
According to Westin, the latest treatments combine immunotherapy with standard chemotherapy plus a drug that prevents cancer cells from fixing their own DNA.
The results are encouraging, especially for patients who have late-stage endometrial cancer or whose disease has come back.
Some known side effects of durvalumab and Olaparib include:
Durvalumab can cause inflammation in various parts of the body, which can lead to:
- Skin rashes
- Diarrhea
- Liver inflammation
Olaparib may lead to side effects such as:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Blood-related issues such as anemia
- Increased risk of developing certain other cancers due to the DNA repair inhibition.
Another U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved combination therapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer to be used with traditional chemotherapy is dostarlimab-gxly (brand name Jemperli). It is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, a type of immunotherapy that helps reinvigorate the body’s immune system to fight cancer.
WATCH: Treatment for Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Dostarlimab-gxly was already approved for metastatic and recurrent endometrial cancer in cases where chemotherapy did not work. Now, dostarlimab-gxly is approved as part of the first treatment for patients who have a specific set of genetic mutations called mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). These genetic factors are associated with a much greater response to the checkpoint inhibitor class of drugs.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, you may want to ask your doctor a few questions to ensure you are well informed about your diagnosis and the treatment journey that awaits.
- What stage is my endometrial cancer?
- What are the treatment options available for my specific type and stage of endometrial cancer?
- What are the potential side effects of each treatment option, and how can they be managed?
- What is the expected prognosis for my condition?
- Are there any clinical trials or experimental treatments that I may be eligible for?
- How often will I need follow-up appointments and tests to monitor my condition?
- Are there any lifestyle changes or dietary recommendations that can help improve my prognosis or manage side effects?
- What support services are available to help me cope with the emotional and practical aspects of living with endometrial cancer?
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