New Drug Shows Promise Fighting Type of Breast Cancer Seen More in Latinas



One of the more aggressive types is triple negative breast cancer, which is diagnosed most frequently in young women and new mothers, and even more so among black and Hispanic women. Now, two North Texas doctors are making major strides in treating triple negative breast cancer. Their work is so promising, the New England Journal of Medicine is publishing a study about the investigational treatment this month, WFAA-TV reports. Research from the doctors show a drug called iniparib, also called BDI-201, has prolonged the lives of more than 50 percent of the patients who have used the treatment. Watch the entire WFAA-TV news segment here or ...

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The Importance of Mixed-Methods Cancer Disparities Research



Dr. Rena Pasick, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, spoke about mixed methods of cancer health disparities research during a recent speech that was part of the new San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI) and Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) Distinguished Health Disparities Lecture Series. Dr. Pasick, a well-established population-based cancer control researcher, conducts community- and clinic-based intervention studies to increase the use of and access to breast and cervical cancer screening among ethnically diverse and underserved communities. She also developed a training program to encourage minority students and professionals to pursue doctoral degrees in cancer research. Watch Dr. Pasick's lecture here. The lecture series, coordinated by ...

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Meeting Report: Progress in the Fight Against Latino Childhood Obesity



A new report highlights Latino childhood obesity challenges and potential solutions that were discussed at the 2nd Annual Scientific Summit of Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. The summit, from Sept. 22-24, 2010, in San Antonio, showcased the innovative Latino childhood obesity research being done by the program's  20 pilot investigators. The investigators, from 11 states around the nation, presented the progress they’ve made on their two-year, $75,000 pilot projects to the audience of 75 of their peers and experts in the field. “I have to tell you, we’re very excited about the impact our pilot investigators are making,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America!, which is led by the ...

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Latinas, Get Yourself a Life-Saving Gift This Holiday Season



Latinas, here's a reminder to get yourself a holiday gift that can save your life—your annual mammogram, which can detect breast cancer early, when it's most treatable. Watch a true-to-life public service announcement here or below to see why, despite busy lives and a bustling holiday season, Latinas ages 40 and older should set aside time to take care of their own health and get their mammogram: This PSA is brought to you by Redes En Acción, the national Lation cancer research network, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Please tell us what you ...

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Bilingual Booklet Helps Patients Understand Clinical Trials as Treatment Options



The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's new bilingual booklet, Knowing All Your Treatment Options/Conozca Todas Sus Opciones de Tratamiento, aims to help patients understand clinical trials as one of the treatment choices they may want to consider. There is also a Healthcare Question Guide inside the back cover of the booklet for patients and family members to take with them to their doctor appointments. To access this booklet and others on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Web site, please visit www.LLS.org/freematerials, or you can order hard copies of the booklet by calling 1-800-955-4572 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. Information specialists can answer general questions about blood cancers and help patients form additional questions to ask their doctor specific to their ...

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Apply for ‘Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training’



Are you a Latino master's student or master's-level professional in Texas? You are invited to apply by Feb. 18, 2011, for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, a new training program to encourage Latino master’s students and master’s professionals to pursue a doctoral degree in a Latino health disparity research field and/or cancer control research career. Éxito! is led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Éxito! consists of: A 5-day Summer Institute in June 2011 that offers teaching, tools and resources Paid Internships (Starting in 2012) Doctoral Application Support Awards (Starting in 2012) Doctoral Biannual Retreats (Starting in 2014) "We believe that Éxito! can increase ethnic diversity in the ...

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VIDEO: Dr. Ramirez Tackles Latino Cancer Challenges at Symposium


Amelie Ramirez

Watch a podcast featuring Dr. Amelie Ramirez! Ramirez is leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind Salud America!. She discusses the cancer challenges and solutions among Hispanics during the 33rd Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Dec. 11, 2010. Dr. Ramirez, who also led a panel at the symposium, also talks about the importance of genetic testing for breast cancer among Latinas, as well as statewide and national communications programs. The podcast was done by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). To see more podcasts from the symposium, go ...

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Study: 1 in 4 Overweight Women Think They’re Normal Size; Minorities Play Down Overweight Status



Almost one-quarter of young women who are overweight actually perceive themselves as being normal weight, while a sizable minority (16 percent) of women at normal body weight actually fret that they're too fat, according to a new study, HealthDay reports. The study found that 30 percent of adult Americans in the "overweight" class believed they were actually normal size, while 70 percent of those classified as obese felt they were simply overweight. Among overweight women, 28 percent of blacks and about 25 percent of Hispanics considered their weight within the normal range, compared to 15 percent of overweight white women. The trend was the opposite among normal-weight women, with more whites (16 percent) believing they were fat, compared to just 7 percent of blacks, according to ...

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CDC: Too Many Cancers Spotted Too Late (Including Cervical Cancer Among Latinas)



Although screening tests are widely available, many cancers aren't diagnosed until the disease is well-advanced and, therefore, less treatable, a new U.S. government report finds, HealthDay reports. Almost one-half of colorectal cancers and cervical cancers and one-third of breast cancers in the U.S. are detected at a late stage, according to the report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report also found that Latinas ages 50-79 have the highest rates of late-stage cervical cancer. Yet, if caught early, these three cancers have very high survival rates. "People need to be aware of what they need to have done medically and follow-up with their providers," said report co-author Dr. Lisa Richardson, associate director for science in CDC's Division of Cancer ...

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