Latino Cancer

Research: Latino Kids Have High Exposure to Unhealthy Snacks at School

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1 week ago
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Latina Girl in Snack LineLatino students are widely exposed to high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drinks sold in schools, but implementing stronger nutritional standards can yield healthier school snacks for this growing population at high risk of obesity, according to a new package of research materials released today by Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children.

The new Salud America! “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” research materials, which can be found at www.salud-america.org, include:
• A research review with the latest science;
• An issue brief (lay summary of the review);
• An infographic; and
• An animated video

This is the first of six new research material packages to be released over the summer by Salud America!, each of which will focus on a specific topic on Latino childhood obesity and highlight the issue, policy implications and future research areas.

The “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” package, released at the Salud America! Summit, highlights the fact that young people consume a high proportion of their daily calories at school.

“Research shows that access to unhealthy snack foods and beverages in schools has a disproportionately negative health influence among Latino students, and schools with a higher proportion of Latino students tend to have weaker policies regarding access to and nutritional values of these items,” said Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America!, a national network of stakeholders seeking environmental and policy solutions to Latino obesity based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“By 2050, 35 percent of young people in the U.S. will be Latino. Providing healthier school snacks and drinks can help make sure this growing population is healthy,” Ramirez said.

To learn more, visit www.salud-america.org.

Testicular Cancer on Rise in Latino Men

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2 weeks ago
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Hispanically Speaking News

Photo from Hispanically Speaking News

Testicular cancer is most common in white men.

But as the overall testicular cancer rate rises in the U.S., the greatest increase is occurring among Latino men, according to a researcher, Hispanically Speaking News reports.

The report indicates that Dr. Scott Eggener, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago, examining testicular cancer incidence from 1992-2009 and found that:

In 1992, 5.7 of every 100,000 men had testicular cancer; that number rose to 6.8/100,000 in 2009.

In 1992, 4 of every 100,000 Hispanic men were affected; that number rose to 6.3/100,000 in 2009.

“The incidence of testicular cancer appears to be increasing very slowly but steadily among virtually all groups that we studied,” said Eggener, according to the news report. “The novel finding is that the most dramatic increase is in Hispanic men.”

Testicular cancer prognosis is generally good, and but a testicular exam should be part of a routine medical exam, experts say.

For more info on testicular cancer, go here.

What Are Health Disparities?

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3 weeks ago
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crowdHealth disparities are differences in incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific U.S. population groups.

Latinos, for example, suffer various disparities in cancer, chronic disease, obesity and other conditions.

To learn more, visit the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

You also can check out the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Disparities & Inequalities Report. The report analyzes recent trends and ongoing variations in health disparities and inequalities.

Study: Latinos Less Likely to Think They’ll Get Cancer

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1 month ago
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Hispanic, Black, and Asian Americans are less likely than whites to believe they will get cancer, even though they are actually more likely to develop cancer and die from it, according to a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion, HealthDay reports.

Study researchers surveyed people about their perceptions of their cancer risk.

They also found Hispanics were less likely than whites and blacks to believe they could take steps to reduce their risk of cancer.

“There is a need for consistent cancer prevention messages and screening recommendations, as well as opportunities to increase education on cancer prevention among all populations,” study senior author B. Lee Green of the Moffitt Cancer Center, said in a center news release, HealthDay reported. “These efforts will make individuals feel more empowered to participate in cancer-preventive behaviors.”

If Latinos need motivation to get screened, check out these videos in English or Spanish:

Latinos & Cancer: Experts Tackle Cancer Myths, Disparities and Health Care in Webinar

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1 month ago
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MaldanadoA trio of experts discussed Latino cancer issues, including disparities, cancer myths, and health care issues in a webinar April 4, 2013, for National Minority Health Month.

Speakers were:

  • Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
  • Elena Rios, MD, MPH, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association
  • Rosa Villoch-Santiago, MPA, director of health disparities for the American Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division

Ramirez indicated that the rising U.S. Latino population faces heightened risks of certain cancer, compared to whites, according to a Saludify news report.

Ramirez also said Latino cancers are expected to rise 142% by 2030.

She also highlighted ways to reduce and prevent cancer, including making lifestyle changes like eating healthier and exercising.

Villoch-Santiago described the “Ventanilla de Salud” program, a national initiative that uses community health workers to reduce cancer disparities.

Rios said that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can provide additional assistance for Hispanics regarding health care.

Read Saludify‘s full recap of the webinar here.

Who is Èxito!: Jenny Castillo

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1 month ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Jenny Castillo

Jenny Castillo
Austin, Texas

Native San Antonio resident Jenny Castillo not only cares about helping Latinos get off the couch and get fit to beat disease, she also knows the value of incorporating culturally infused methods of physical activity.

For example, her passion for flamenco and folklorico dance represent an exciting way to bring Latino families together to get active.

Castillo plans to put her passion for dance and her knowledge of Mexican American culture to good use as she pursues a master’s degree in health and kinesiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She expects to graduate in 2013.

She also works as a graduate research assistant on a study to prevent obesity and diabetes among low-income Latinas and an obesity intervention in Latina youth.

Castillo, who also has degrees in government and communications (with a specialty in political communications) from The University of Texas at Austin, was encouraged by a mentor to apply for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

Once accepted into the program, she learned from respected public health researchers and faculty that there are resources available and many different avenues that can lead to doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities research.

“Éxito! provided me confidence and tools to apply and be successful in a doctorate program,” Castillo said.

Bilingual Audio/Video: Reasons Latinos Should Join a Clinical Trial

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1 month ago
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Latinos don’t know much about clinical trials, surveys show.

Clinical trials are research studies in which people help doctors find new prevention, screening, and treatment options. New treatments that look promising, and have already been tested extensively in the laboratory, are then tested with patients who volunteer to participate.

It’s especially important for Latinos to participate in research so that doctors can learn more about the types of cancer that affect our community and what treatments are most effective, says Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director and professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

For those who speak Spanish, listen to Dr. Ramirez talk about the importance of clinical trials for Latinos:

NCI ClinicalTrails Awareness: Dr. Amelie Ramirez

Also be sure to check out these informative videos in English and Spanish about the importance of Latino participation in clinical trials.

These videos were produced by the IHPR through its national Latino cancer research network, Redes En Acción, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Who is Èxito!: Bianca Flores

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1 month ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Bianca Flores

Bianca Flores
Austin, Texas

Bianca Flores, a third-generation Texan with Mexican ancestry, wanted to learn more about the Mexican American community.

So she studied Spanish and Mexican Studies and, as she earned her undergraduate degree, increasingly identified herself with the many struggles people of color in the U.S. face, and the health inequalities they experience.

Flores wanted to help Mexican Americans make positive changes, so she earned her a master’s degree in public health nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, and worked as a nurse and a nursing instructor.

Now she directs health promotion activities at the People’s Clinic in Austin and strives to ensure that Latinos—and people of all races and ethnicities—live a healthy life.

She’s also taken another step forward in applying for and being accepted into Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

In combination with her educational background, experience, and tools gained from the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, Flores is becoming a public health asset.

Latinas Have High Cervical Cancer Rates, But Prevention is Possible

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2 months ago
by admin in ,

Hispanic mom_n_daughter_56383069.jpgCervical cancer is the most preventable of all female cancers.

However, Hispanic women have the highest rates of cervical cancer in the United States.

Of every 100,000 U.S. women, about 11 Hispanic women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, compared to only seven non-Hispanic women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The good news is that cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccination.

CDC recommends girls and boys receive the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12, which can help prevent cervical and other cancers in men and women caused by HPV, a virus so common that nearly every person who is sexually active will be infected with HPV in their lifetime.

CDC also recommends adult women see their doctor regularly for a Pap test and any necessary follow-up treatment.

What are other ways to reduce your risk of cervical cancer?

For Minority Health Awareness Month, be sure to read more in English or Spanish from the CDC, or check out this inspiring video in English or Spanish on vaccination from the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

Who is Èxito!: Paul Afnan

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2 months ago
by admin in ,

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Paul Afnan

Paul Afnan
Houston, Texas

With encouragement toward higher education from his El Salvadorian mother, Paul Afnan earned a bachelor’s degree in conservation and resources studies and made the dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA at the University of California, Berkeley.

He knew he wanted to make a difference in people’s health.

So he interned with a scientific agency in Managua, Nicaragua, where he enrolled children into a dengue/influenza cohort study and created a predictive model for patients with febrile illnesses.

Afnan then moved from San Francisco to Houston, where he interned in infection control at Memorial Herman Hospital. Here Afnan conducted an environmental study examining Staphylococcus aureus samples and performed data extraction from medical records to research the risk factors of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

He also wanted to help family members who were struggled with cancer.

That’s why he is seeking his master’s degree in public health at The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston. He expects to graduate in 2013.

To further explore pursuit of a doctoral degree, Afnan applied for and was accepted to join Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

During the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, Afnan was exposed to the necessary tools, information, and leaders in public health who were able to provide him with the assistance he needed to pursue a doctoral degree and a research career.

“The Summer Institute gave me an idea of where I wanted to focus my research,” Afnan said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

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