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Latinos in South Texas have the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation—a rate that continues to rise higher, according to a study from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
For the study, published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, researchers compared the newest state and federal data to pinpoint current liver cancer rates and trends.
They found that Texas Latino male and female incidence rates were 3.1 and 4 times higher than their non-Latino White counterparts, and South Texas Latinos had even higher rates.
In addition, liver cancer incidence rates are rising across all groups.
“This clearly shows that liver cancer is not only already higher among Latinos in South Texas, but it’s rising, too. We need solutions,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the study’s lead author, director of the IHPR, and associate director for cancer prevention and health disparities at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the Health Science Center.
The cause of elevated, rising liver cancer rates among Latinos is largely unknown.
Risk factors may include: hepatitis; diabetes; obesity; genetic predisposition; and environmental contamination and hazards along the Texas-Mexico border.
Dr. Ramirez’ team will continue examining the causes and potential solutions.
“Understanding the causes of increasing liver cancer in South Texas is critical not only for developing interventions and identifying high-risk individuals so that they may be screened and treated with the best available care,” Ramirez said.
Others from IHPR faculty and staff involved in the study were: Alan E.C. Holden, Edgar Munoz, and Rebecca Adeigbe.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
