Articles by Cliff Despres

Using the New Breast Cancer Education Toolkit for Latinas

December 4, 2014

Susan G. Komen for the Cure recently launched its Breast Cancer Education Toolkit for Hispanic/Latino Communities, a free, online resource that arms educators with Latino-culture specific communication resources, videos, and practical tools. But what affect can using the toolkit have? Yarazetd Mendoza-Camargo of the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia wrote a blog post to share how developing and utilizing the Toolkit empowered her and her colleagues to share information with local Latinas, and build a closer community relationship. "The tips it includes to approach our audience create an inviting atmosphere to share sensitive information," Mendoza-Camargo wrote. "For example, two women came into the Consulate for services and while they were waiting, they listened to the breast ...

Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez: An Èxito! Grad Gives His Time to Help Others

December 4, 2014

Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez Naranjito, Puerto Rico Despite growing up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez was able to see the sincerity and beauty of the environments, people and culture—and he learned and important lesson: “Great things can be done to help others with only giving your time.” Motivated by his childhood experiences and family support, Santiago-Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, and a master’s degree public health in epidemiology from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences ...

Study: Informative Videos Boost Clinical Trial Awareness in Latina Breast Cancer Patients

November 11, 2014

Latina breast cancer patients given information about clinical trials in multiple ways, including a culturally sensitive video on breast cancer clinical trials, had much greater awareness of trials than patients who got usual-care information, according to new data. After receiving the extra information—an interactive video about clinical trials, a bilingual booklet, and access to a patient navigator who can help answer their questions—the proportion of Latina breast cancer patients taking steps toward participating in a clinical trial increased from 38% to 75%, according to the study. The study was led by researchers from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday) and presented at an ...

Here’s How to Help Fight Health Disparities in Your Area (& Get a Scholarship for It!)

October 13, 2014

A regional health disparities research program has unveiled a new website, membership opportunity, and scholarships under the direction of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Dr. Ramirez’ program is called GMaP Region 4. It is one of six regional GMaPs (or Transdisciplinary Geographic Management Programs) funded by the National Cancer Institute to bring together local networks of investigators to collaboratively identify and address health disparities in regions across the country. GMaP Region 4 is enhancing local communication, recruitment, and evaluation capacity to support health disparities research, training and outreach in Arizona, New Mexico, ...

The 6 Top Preventable Causes of Cancer Death

October 10, 2014

More than half of the estimated U.S. cancer deaths projected to occur this year are related to preventable causes, according to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) reports. The top preventable cancer causes are: Tobacco use (33%) Obesity or overweight (20%) Cancer-causing pathogens (16%) Insufficient physical activity (5%) Poor dietary habits (5%) Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning devices (2%) The report indicates that more than 50% "of the 585,720 cancer deaths expected to occur in the United States in 2014 will be related to preventable causes." But changes with changes to diet, activity habits and weight, approximately 1 in 3 cancer cases are preventable, according to the AICR. "More ...

10 Years (and Counting!): Latinas v. Breast Cancer

October 6, 2014

Julie La Fuente Louviere of San Antonio has fought—and survived—three bouts of breast cancer. She doesn’t let cancer keep her down. The wife and mother of two has lost weight, ran a half-marathon, celebrated 25 years of marriage, turned 50, become a grandmother, and watched her oldest graduate from law school. "Survivorship means I am able to wake up every morning and be a wife to my husband, a mom to my girls, now a glam'ma to my grandson and loving aunt and sister," Louviere said. "It means I can be an active part of the present and never take life's moments for granted." Louviere is among the 16 local Latina survivors who will celebrate a decade of cancer survival, triumph, and resiliency as part of the 10th anniversary of Nuestras Historias. Nuestras Historias, a 2004 ...

Study: Hispanic, Black Patients Suffer More Mental Health Distress

September 9, 2014

Hispanic and African American cancer patients suffered more mental health distress than non-Hispanic white patients, according to a new study, VoxxiNews reports. The study, led by Héctor E Alcalá of UCLA, linked increased mental health stress to household income, as a cancer diagnosis is known to "erode finances." The VoxxiNews report cites two older studies with similar findings: In 2008, data indicated economic stress for low-income women with cancer significantly impacted quality of life; functional, emotional, physical, social-family well-being, depression and anxiety scores were all worse for women who had economic stress while dealing with their cancer burden. The women in the 2008 study were primarily Hispanic, though ethnicity was not a factor in that particular study. A ...

Study: Single Mastectomy, a Popular Option for Latinas, Worsened Cancer Survival Rates

September 3, 2014

A new study finds no survival benefit for the increasingly popular double mastectomy procedure after an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, compared to breast-conserving surgery with radiation—but single mastectomies, a popular choice among Latinas, actually showed worse survival rates, NPR reports. In the study of 189,734 women, the number of double mastectomies increased, while single mastectomies decreased. Survival rates were surprising: 83.2% survival rate: Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy). 81.2% survival rate: Double mastectomy. 79.9% survival rate: Single mastectomy. Those who chose double mestectomies tended to be middle- or upper-class, younger than 50 or non-Hispanic white, or some combination of these. Those who chose single mastectomies tended to be minority, ...

Latino Researchers among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants for Cancer Research

August 22, 2014

Several Latino researchers were among those awarded $7.6 million to prevent cancer this week at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, thanks to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center, the team behind SaludToday, was awarded a $1.4 million grant. Ramirez will develop bilingual, culturally appropriate social and mobile messages and channels to recruit young adult Latino smokers to sign up for a text-message-based tobacco cessation service. “Smoking is a problem among young adult Latinos in South Texas, but there are no culturally relevant programs that utilize Latinos’ heavy usage of social media and texting to help them quit," Ramirez said. ...

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Cliff Despres

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