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Cancer is a big health issue for Latinos and all people.
That’s why Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, partnered with the Mays Cancer Center to create the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) biennial conference.
Read the proceedings from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 ASCL Conferences.
The 2024 ASCL Conference on Feb. 21-23, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, welcomed over 280 prominent researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the globe to address cancer health disparities among Latinos.
Conference sponsors included: platinum supporters Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, and Gilead; silver supporters GMaP Region 3, Loxo@Lilly, National Cancer Institute, Pfizer, and Regeneron; and amigos supporters Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSD Moores Cancer Center in partnership with UCSD Center for Health Equity Education, and VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The following “Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings” summarizes findings of Latino leaders in the areas of cancer research, care, climate, non-medical drivers of health, survivorship, clinical trials, and more.
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- Aligning Individual/System-Level Solutions to Address Latino Cancer Inequalities, Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- The Impact of Climate Change and Natural Disasters Across the Cancer Control Continuum, Dr. Gary L. Ellison, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Cancer in Latinos is a Public Health Crisis
- Structural Determinants of Health Impacting Latino Cancer Health Disparities: Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment. Dr. Alejandra Hurtado de Mendoza, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- The Critical Role of Language in Latino Cancer and Health Outcomes. Dr. Glenn A. Martinez, University of Texas San Antonio.
- Access to Psychosocial Care for Latinos in the US and Latin America. Rosario Costas-Muñiz, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
COVID 19: Implications on Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Care for Latinos
- Cancer Deaths Among Latinos in the COVID-19 Era: National and State Trends. Dr. Rogelio Sáenz, University of Texas at San Antonio.
- COVID-19’s Influence on Colorectal Cancer Screening in Latino Communities: The Role of Mailed Fecal Test Outreach. Dr. Gloria Coronado, University of Arizona (UA) Cancer Center and UA College of Public Health.
- Cancer Patients at an Oncology Center in Mexico: Navigating COVID-19 in an Underfunded Health System. Diana Vilar-Compte, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia in Mexico.
Coordinated and Comprehensive Survivorship Care for Latinos
- Latino Cancer Survivors’ Quality of Life and Survivorship Care. Kristi D. Graves, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Georgetown University Medical Center.
- Impact of Patient-Centered Care and Care Experiences for Latino Cancer Survivors. Dr. Albert Farias, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
- Patient Activation and Palliative Care among Hispanics/Latinos with Metastatic Cancer. Dr. Patricia I. Moreno, Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.
- Increasing Diversity in Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials. Dr. Paula Aristizabal, University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital.
- Treatment-Related Toxicity and Pediatric Cancer. Dr. Allison Grimes, University of Texas Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center and the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute.
- Improving Cancer Survivorship Care for Latino AYA Survivors. Dr. Jacqueline Casillas, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Miller’s Women and Children’s Hospital.
Addressing Latino Cancer Health Equity by Exploring Non-Medical Drivers of Health
- Designing Food Pantries to Improve Food Security Among Cancer Survivors. Dr. Sandi Pruitt, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
- How to Help Latina Mothers Who are Diagnosed with Cancer. Dr. Rebecca Palacios, New Mexico State University.
Rapid Fire Session on Latino Cancer
- Residence in a Latino Enclave and Clinical Outcomes in Texas Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Dr. Jeremy Schraw, Baylor College of Medicine.
- Unraveling Genomic Ancestry in a Hispanic/Latino Colorectal Cancer Cohort and Exploring Spatial Transcriptomics to Study the Tumor Microenvironment. Dr. Enrique I. Velazquez-Villarreal, City of Hope.
- Padres y Trabajadores de la Salud Unidos en la Prevención Del Cáncer: A Multi-Tiered Intervention Approach to Increasing HPV Vaccination. Dr. Jacob Martinez, University of Texas at El Paso.
- Building a Primary Care Research Agenda for Latino Populations in the Setting of the Latino Paradox: A Report from the 2023 Latino Primary Care Summit. Dr. Miguel Marino, Oregon Health and Science University; Dr. John Heintzman, Oregon Health and Science University.
- Clinical and Genomic Characteristics of Early-Stage Breast Cancer Tumors of Latin American Patients in FLEX Study. Dr. Marcela Mazo Canola, Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Panels
- Adapting NCI’s Clinical Trials System to a Changed Clinical Research Environment, James H. Doroshow, NCI.
- Promoting Structural and Institutional Change to Reduce Poverty and Cancer, Shobha Srinivasan, NCI
The Importance of Latino Representation for Advancing Population Health
- Demographics and Public Policy: Implications for Latino Cancer. Dr. Elena V. Rios, National Hispanic Health Foundation.
- The All of US Research Program. Dr. Martin Mendoza, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health (OMH); formerly of the All of Us Research Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Advancements in Data Science and Precision Medicine: Implications for Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Survivorship in Latinos
- Integrating Clinical and Genomic Data for Tumor Molecular Profiling in Latino Patients with Cancer. Dr. Enrique I. Velazquez-Villarreal, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- Breast Cancer Polygenic Risk Scores in Hispanic/Latinx/Latina Individuals. Dr. Laura Fejerman, University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- Using Molecular Epidemiology for the Study of Helicobacter pylori, Premalignant and Malignant Gastric Lesions. Dr. Maria Constanza Camargo, National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Advances in Our Understanding and Approach Modifiable Risk Factors for Cancers Affecting Latinos
- Obesity and Cancer: What We Know Now About Individual- and Structural-Level Factors. Dr. Monica C. Serra, Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA).
- Using an “Exercise is Medicine” Approach among Latino Cancer Survivors: Challenging the Research Gap. Dr. Christina M. Dieli-Conwright, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
- Improving Smoking Cessation for Latinos Using a Community-Based Approach. Dr. Anapaula Cupertino, University of Rochester Medical Center and Wilmot Cancer Institute.
Leveraging Technology to Enhance Research, Cancer Control and Prevention
- Advances in Evidence-based Digital Solutions for Supporting Latino Cancer Patients. Dr. John Piette, University of Michigan.
- mHealth Smoking Cessation for Primary Care and Cancer Patients. Dr. Patricia Chalela, Institute for Health Promotion Research, at UT Health San Antonio.
- Mobile Health to Improve Cancer Prevention in Latino Patients. Dr. Yasmin Genevieve Hernandez-Barco, Harvard Medical School.
Strategies for Inclusive Engagement of Latinos in Cancer Clinical Trials
- The NCI Community Oncology Research Program: Opportunities to Increase Latino Participation in Clinical Trials. Dr. Brenda Adjei, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research.
- The SWOG Latin America Initiative: Addressing Cancer Disparities Throughout Latin America and the United States. Dr. Paula A. Cabrera-Galeana, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City.
- Building Capacity for Transformative Cancer Care in Latin America: Integrating Smoking Prevention and Cessation into Oncology Care. Dr. Irene Tamí-Maury, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
- Yolanda Sanchez, University of New Mexico (UNM) and UNM Cancer Center Director and Chief Executive Officer
- Ruben Mesa, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Expanding the Oncology Workforce
- Inclusion in Action: Breaking Open the Leaky Pipeline to Create Pathways & Design Spaces that Improve Representation. Dr. Idalid “Ivy” Franco, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School.
- Increasing the Number of Latino Oncologists and Strategies to Effectively Recruit Latino Oncologists. Dr. Gladys I. Rodriguez, START Center for Cancer Care.
- Task Force: Latino Researchers Against Cancer. Dr. Amelie Ramirez, Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio.
- Pharma: Investing in Latinos’ Health. Veronica Sandoval, Genentech; Dr. Constanza Kurman Petrozzelli, Bristol Myers Squib; Dr. Jesse Garcia, Gilead; Kemi Williams, Chief Medical Office, AstraZeneca.
- AACR Special Session – Breaking Barriers: Progress and Challenges in Shaping the Future of Cancer Research, Care, and Policy for All Populations. Amelie G. Ramirez, Mariana C. Stern, Ruben Mesa, Jon Retzlaff, and Rajarshi Sengupta.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Cite this Publication
- Ramirez AG, Trapido EJ, editors. Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings. 2024 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference, San Antonio, TX. Published online at https://www.salud-america.org/2024proceedings.
About the Authors
- Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, Director, Salud America!, Professor, Institute for Health Promotion Research, UT Health San Antonio
- Sarah C. Nicholson, PhD, Lead Medical Writer, SCN Medical Communications
- David Jones, Associate Medical Writer, SCN Medical Communications
Additional Information
- The 2024 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference in San Antonio, Texas, was also the setting for the first in-person meeting of the Latino Cancer Patient Advocate Training Program. Read more about this event.
- The 2026 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference is set for Feb. 18-20, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. Read more here.
This report is copyright 2024-25 Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio.
By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years