Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer survival are greatest for cancers that can be detected early and treated successfully, including breast and prostate cancer, according to a new study, Medical News Today reports. Disparities are small for pancreatic, lung and other cancers with more limited early detection and treatment options. The study, published in the October 2009 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, found that, compared with whites, substantial survival disparities existed in more treatable cancers in Latinos, African-Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and several Asian/Pacific Islander population subgroups. The finding highlight the need to develop specific health policies and interventions to address social ...
The National Institutes of Health is launching a $37 million research program on human behavior to develop more effective interventions to reduce obesity. The program, Translating Basic Behavioral and Social Science Discoveries into Interventions to Reduce Obesity, will fund interdisciplinary teams of researchers at seven sites. Investigators will conduct experimental and formative research to increase understanding of populations being studied, small studies known as proof of concept trials, and pilot and feasibility studies to identify promising new avenues for encouraging behaviors that prevent or treat obesity. The program’s studies focus on diverse populations at high risk of being overweight or obese, including Latino and African American adults, youths, low-income populations, ...
Latinos and African Americans make up nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population. Yet, in 2005, they comprised only 3.2 percent of funded principal investigators on National Institutes of Health (NIH) research project grants and 5.5 percent of research trainees supported by NIH training grants. A concerted move is under way to change that, particularly at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where several programs are focused on increasing the diversity of the cancer research workforce. Read more about this effort ...
Please watch our new Latino cancer PSA: "Fast Life." This true-to-life PSA shows that, despite busy lives, Latinas ages 40 and older should set aside time to take care of their own health and get their mammogram each year that can detect breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. Watch in English: Or watch in Spanish: How did this PSA affect you? Did it move you? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments ...
Need inspiration or help finding the way to quit smoking? There is good news: The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR), the team behind SaludToday, has developed ¡Buena Vida! A Guide to Help You Quit Smoking. The booklet offers Latinos info, tools and tips for quitting smoking, and tells the stories of five Latinos who have quit, like Estefanía Villareal (pictured at right). Read the booklet in English. Read the booklet in Spanish. Find out more about the IHPR's materials to help Latinos quit ...
Periodically we'll feature a faculty member from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Today it's Dan Hughes. Daniel Hughes, who came to the U.S. from Mexico City as a child, went on to get his chemical engineering degree and spent two decades working his way from engineering to middle management at Dow Chemical. But, in his mid-40s, his life changed. A close friend and long-time colleague suffered lung cancer with complications for years before succumbing to the disease. Several close family members also died of cancer, including close cousins and the aunt who brought him to the U.S. He reflected on his life’s work—a “serious midlife crisis,” friends and family called it. He called it a ...
The National Urban League on Dec. 7, 2009, announced its support the recommendations of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Commission to Build a Healthier America. "The members of the Commission should be applauded for helping to expand the discussion surrounding how we reform the country’s health system. The Commission released 10 recommendations for dramatic improvements in the health of all Americans, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to good health. "The recommendations are a welcome addition to the country’s health reform debate, and we look forward to working with the members of the Commission, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, policymakers and other stakeholders to make these proposals a reality." Recommendations from the Robert Wood Johnson ...
Rates of new diagnoses and rates of death from all cancers combined declined significantly in the most recent time period for men and women overall and for most racial and ethnic populations in the U.S., according to a report from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The drops are driven by declines in rates of new cases and rates of death for the three leading in men (lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers) and for two of the three leading cancers in women (breast and colorectal cancer). The NCI findings were published online Dec. 7, 2009, in the journal Cancer. Among racial/ethnic groups, cancer death rates were highest in black men and women and lowest in Asian/Pacific Islander men and women. Although trends in death rates by race/ ethnicity were similar for most cancer sites, ...
Several restaurants in Monterey County, Calif., have added healhier items like yogurt with fruit, oatmeal and trans-fat meals to their traditional taqueria fare, according to the Salinas Californian. The restaurants took part in an initiative to teach taqueria owners about healthier foods. About 14 of the 16 owners who participated began to offer healthier side dishes, and seven added entrees with fewer calories and fat, but with more fruits and vegetables. For years, county officials have educated owners of taquerias, staples of Latino communities, about nutrition and helped them add healthier food options to their menus. One of the owners, Gloria Del Real (pictured), now cooks with olive oil rather than soybean oil. The program was featured in a recent issue of ...
