About the Author

Author Picture

Valenzuela, Carlos A

Articles by Valenzuela, Carlos A

Want To Do Something About Latino Cancer?



Interested in getting involved in the effort to reduce Latino cancer? Go here and click the logo to join Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network. Redes, a National Cancer Institute-funded initiative to combat cancer among Latinos, has built a nationwide network of community-based organizations, research institutions, government health agencies and the public. Redes activities include promoting training and research opportunities for Latino students and researchers, generating research projects, and supporting cancer awareness activities within the Latino community. Redes is led by the team that runs SaludToday. Joining the Redes network allow you to receive the latest news, stories and events on the work being done to fight Latino cancer. Join ...

Read More

Got an Idea to Help Latinos Get Healthier?



Do you have an idea to help make Latinos healthier? Post a comment on this blog and offer your feedback on the proposed health priorities for Healthy People 2020, a federal report to boost quality of life and reduce health ...

Read More

SaludToday at APHA: Latina Breast Cancer



Here is a quick summary of the Latino-related research presented by Sandra San Miguel (pictured), a SaludToday and Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) investigator, at this week's APHA meeting in Philadelphia: Hispanic women are less likely than non-Hispanic white women to comply with breast cancer treatment recommendations. One way to improve compliance is to identify resources within the Hispanic culture to tailor culturally appropriate programming that improves follow-through with treatment. Because the family is an important part of the Hispanic culture, the IHPR attempted to understand the nature of the familial relationship with respect to breast cancer treatment. 117 breast cancer patients and their family members were surveyed about their breast cancer treatment ...

Read More

Reducing Health Disparities Can Save U.S. $1 Trillion a Year



Eliminating health disparities, or differences in disease burden between population groups, could save the U.S. $1 trillion a year, said David Williams of the Commission to Build a Healthier America (pictured). He spoke at the American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting this week, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation  reports. Williams also said that a person's life expectancy can vary up to 14 years depending on where they live. For example: Bennett County, South Dakota, has a life expectancy of 66.6 years. Anderson County, Texas, is 72 years. Montgomery County, Maryland, and Park County, Colorado, are 81.3 years. The differences are a reflection that the economic, social and physical environments around us are shaped by underlying differences in ...

Read More

Making Safer Routes to School



The Safe Routes to School State Network Project has produced a final report to highlight progress achieved in implementing policies for safer routes to schools, leveraging additional resources and building a supportive environment for Safe Routes to School through other state-level policies. The project included California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Major project accomplishments included: Improving state DOT Safe Routes to School programs; Leveraging millions of additional dollars to address traffic safety, education, public health and infrastructure; Spreading the word about the process of establishing a network and their accomplishments; and Securing policy changes in school siting, ...

Read More

Latinos More Likely to Suffer Stress



Hispanics are more likely than whites or blacks to report an increase in stress levels over the last year, according to a new national survey released in November 2009 by the American Psychological Association (APA). More Hispanics report that their stress has increased in the past year than in 2008 (50% in 2009 vs. 44% in 2008). And, Hispanics are more likely to report that their stress has increased than adults on average (50% vs. 42%). Hispanics also more commonly report experiencing these symptoms of stress than other adults: 53% of Hispanic adults (vs. 47% overall) report that they have lain awake at night 49% of Hispanic adults (vs. 43% overall) report fatigue 45% of Hispanic adults (vs. 40% overall) report lack of interest, motivation, or energy 44% of Hispanic ...

Read More

Story: Rafael Chavez, A ‘Touchdown’ for Health



Rafael Chavez, a master sergeant at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, was destined to be a Dallas Cowboys fan growing up in Mission, Texas, where Coach Tom Landry was born a legend. He even spent $75 on a Landry football card from the 1960s. Unlike his clean-cut hero Landry, though, Chavez had a blemish – he was a smoker. He started smoking at age 15. He was a regular smoker by 18. Now years later, Chavez decided to start over and quit smoking for good. He’s been smokeless for six months – and he says he feels like he has scored a Super Bowl touchdown. “[It’s like] scoring in the Super Bowl; you’re not doing it for the fans. You’re not doing it for anyone. You’re doing it for yourself because the reason you smoke is for yourself. You have to do it for yourself ...

Read More

Story: Joan Treviño Lawhon, Latina Cancer Survivor



Joan Treviño Lawhon of San Antonio had a choice: let breast cancer take over, or fight to survive. "Within an hour of my diagnosis, I was at Barnes & Noble buying layman's books on breast cancer. We can freeze and let the disease consume us, or we can fight. My choice was to fight. I was going to make sure my choice was an informed one." She highlighted passages in her books and wrote down  questions to ask her doctors. She leaned on her faith and her family when she had to have surgery. Now she is a survivor. "Now if people see me in a low-cut gown, I love hearing them say, 'You don't look like you had cancer,' because they are right. I had cancer. And I thank God for those beautiful ...

Read More

LAF Petitioning Congress to Ensure Care for Cancer Survivors



Many cancer survivors are denied new health coverage or have their coverage revoked at critical times. So the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is seeking signatures on an online petition that urges Congress to support health care reform that does not deny health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions and ensures that no American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment. To sign the online petition, go to LIVESTRONG. Watch the video below to see LIVESTRONG President and CEO Doug Ulman report after delivering 65,000 of the petition signatures thus far to ...

Read More