3 Essential Resources for Sarcoma Awareness Month


Sarcoma Awareness Month

July is recognized as Sarcoma Awareness Month, which encourages communities to raise awareness and show support for those affected by sarcoma. Let’s explore resources for you and your loved ones to support! What is Sarcoma? Approximately 17,000 people are diagnosed with sarcoma each year in the United States. Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that “begins in bone or in the soft tissues of the body, including cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, fibrous tissue, or other connective or supportive tissue,” according to National Cancer Institute. With over 100 different subtypes, sarcomas are categorized as soft tissue or bone sarcomas, depending on where they develop in the body. Most sarcomas are within the limbs because this is where most of the body’s connective ...

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New Texas Law Will Require Warning Labels for Food Additives


Couple in market reading labels on products.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a law that mandates the first-ever warning labels on foods like chips and candies that contain dyes and additives not allowed in other countries. “The law mandates disclosures for more than 40 ingredients, including food dyes and additives commonly used in food processing to help with texture, taste or shelf life,” according to AP News. Let’s dig deeper into what this law means and how it impacts families and communities. What Does This Law Entail? The newly signed law will require foods made with any of more than 40 dyes or additives to have warning labels starting Jan. 1, 2027. The labels will include verbiage saying the products’ contain ingredients “not recommended for human consumption” in Australia, Canada, Europe, or ...

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Protect Yourself and Others Against UV Rays This Summer


UV Awareness 2024

The month of July is UV Awareness Month! While enjoying the summer rays, it’s important to protect yourself and loved ones against the UV light that comes from the sun. As the summer heat continues and outdoor activities begin, let’s dive into best practices for UV protection and how they can help prevent sunburns, sun damage, and more! What are UV Rays? CDC defines UV rays as an invisible kind of radiation from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps. UV radiation is divided into 3 main groups: UVA: While they have the least energy of UV rays, UVA radiation makes up 95% of the all the UV rays that make it to the Earth’s surface. They can cause skin cells to age and can cause some indirect damage to cells’ DNA. UVB: UVB radiation makes up only 5% of the UV rays ...

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How to See If Health Information on Social Media Is Credible


Scrolling social media

Whether you’re looking for a recipe, catching up with the latest trends, or staying up with the news, social media plays a large role in people’s daily lives. In fact, people spend an average of 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media. While many people rely heavily on social media to get information, facts, and news, the quality of information can also be questionable. With this in mind, the Public Health Communication Collaborative (PHCC) created a guide on Evaluating Credibility on Social Media. Let’s dive deeper into this tool and find out how it can help your community! Check Credibility of Health Information on Social Media with SIFT When considering health information on social media, PHCC encourages people to review the information using the acronym ...

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Number of Cancer Survivors in the U.S. Reaches 18.6 Million


Cancer survivor with family member.

The number of people living with a history of cancer in the United States is estimated at 18.6 million as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to a report on Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Statistics from the American Cancer Society (ACS). This number is projected to exceed 22 million by 2035, according to the report. Let’s dive deeper into this report and what it says about cancer survivorship. Survivorship Stats The ACS report highlights that the 3 most prevalent cancers among males are prostate (3,552,460) melanoma of the skin (816,580), and colorectal (729,550) For women, breast (4,305,570), uterine corpus (945,540), and thyroid (859,890) were the 3 most prevalent. “The number of female breast cancer survivors is projected to reach 5.3 million by January 1, 2035 – an ...

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Share Your Cancer Story with the Avanzando Caminos Team


Avanzando Caminos team

Just like fingerprints are tailored to the individual they belong to, no two cancer survivor stories are the same. Yet, every single one is important. “Every story is unique, and every story is worth understanding and learning from,” said Dr. Derek Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez is the research scientist helping lead the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship study team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. Everyone’s cancer journey is different and paved with unique challenges and obstacles that define treatment, quality of life, and long-lasting health impacts, he explained. And that’s exactly what the dedicated Avanzando Caminos team is trying to get to the bottom of by collecting the stories of survivors. Let’s ...

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How Do Dietary and Lifestyle Patterns Impact Cancer Prevention?


Couple cooking meal together.

Dietary and lifestyle patterns can impact your cancer risk, according to a new report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). The report, Dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention: evidence and recommendations from CUP Global, lists recommendations for dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention. The list has considerations for breast and colorectal cancer, the second- and third-most-common cancers worldwide. Recommendations include: For overall cancer prevention, follow a healthy dietary pattern, aim to be physically active, maintain a healthy body weight and avoid smoking. In such a dietary pattern, prioritize fruit, vegetables, and fiber-containing foods. For colorectal cancer prevention, ...

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In the News: San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program


San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program Firefighter Tour at MCC 4-17-25 1

The new San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program aims to better understand and reduce the cancer burden among local firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, thanks to the partnership of the San Antonio Fire Department, UT Health San Antonio, and Sylvester’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative at the University of Miami. The program, launched in April 2025, is gaining media coverage: Firefighter with cancer praises new research partnerships between SAFD and cancer center, KSAT-12 TV New UT Health program aims to prevent cancer in San Antonio firefighters, Texas Public Radio UT Health Science Center leading research into cancer rates among firefighters, Spectrum News Héroes sin capa y entre llamas: la lucha silenciosa de los bomberos, KVDA-TV ...

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CDC Project Firstline Micro-Learn: Measles



Infection control training and action is crucial for healthcare workers. With this in mind, check out the Infection Control Micro-Learns from the Project Firstline program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Micro-learns are a series of guided infection control discussions that can be easily incorporated into team meetings or huddles led by an experienced team member with infection control expertise. Each micro-learn focuses on a single infection control topic and connects these concepts to immediate, practical value. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can lead to severe illness and even death. Let’s explore the Infection Control Micro-Learns on Measles. check out the micro-learn! What Does Measles Look Like? Measles ...

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