We are in the “golden age” of cancer drug development with over 50 drugs approved for cancer treatment in the past three years. But things aren’t golden for everyone. That is part of the reason why Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio co-hosted the 2nd Advancing the Science of Cancer (ASCL) conference Feb. 26-28, 2020, in San Antonio. The conference united nearly 300 researchers, oncologists, physicians, community leaders, policymakers and students. While looking at Latino cancer, the audience strives for solutions that will work for all. "We have to ensure that cancer treatments—or intervention, prevention, and outreach methods—work for all people," said Ramirez, who directs the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. The IHPR ...
The overall U.S. cancer death rate fell 27% from 1991 to 2016, according to a recent study by the American Cancer Society. Good news, right? Not so fast. The report revealed a disturbing trend: a growing gap in cancer death rates based on wealth. "It was surprising to see that the disparities by socioeconomic status are actually widening," Rebecca Siegel, first author of the study and strategic director of surveillance information at the American Cancer Society, told CNN. "Wealth causes differences in exposure to risk factors and also access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment." Cancer is the leading cause of death among U.S. Latinos. They are more likely to receive a cancer diagnoses in later, less curable cancer stages.
The Bad News
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For years, studies have shown that Latinos have a profound mistrust of doctors and scientists. Consequently, Latinos participate in clinical trials at far lower rates than other ethnic groups, which perpetuates the health disparities seen with many diseases like Alzheimer’s and certain cancers. This also makes it harder for researchers to find treatments that work best for Latinos. Minorities actually represent less than 30% of those enrolled in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to a recent report. Latinos comprised less than 7.6% of trial participants. “There hasn’t been a single [prostate] screening trial including a significant number of Latinos or blacks … yet it impacts our practice and we have no data to know if it ...
Interactive videos featuring real Latina cancer survivors talking about clinical trials can help Latina breast cancer patients consider trials as a treatment option, according to a new pilot study led by Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio. The study, published in Translation Behavioral Medicine, tested the videos with 77 Latina breast cancer patients at Mays Cancer Center. Researchers randomly assigned 39 Latinas to a control group and 38 to a test group. Then test group received "Choices," a 30-minute interactive educational video program in English or Spanish about clinical trials and common barriers (delivered on a computer in the clinic). "Choices" also included a bilingual booklet and access to a patient navigator for care coordination. Control participants received ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a top cancer researcher and director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, today was named one of 12 new "Komen Scholars" by Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest non-profit funder of breast cancer research. Komen Scholars are an advisory group of distinguished leaders in breast cancer research and leadership. Each scholar—chosen for their knowledge, leadership, and contributions to breast cancer research—will help guide Komen’s $956 million research program, present at national meetings, and serve as experts and leaders for Komen’s nationwide network of affiliates and in communities around the globe. Ramirez, as part of being named a Komen Scholar, will receive $600,000 over three years to study ...
Existen muchos tipos de cáncer que afectan en mayor medida a los hombres, y entre ellos muchas afecciones que son más comunes entre la población hispana. GobiernoUSA.gov le entrega información útil sobre la salud masculina y la forma de prevenir el cáncer durante noviembre, mes en que muchos hombres se dejan crecer la barba o el bigote como forma de participar en las campañas de concientización sobre esta enfermedad. Es importante que los hombres hispanos sean proactivos en su cuidado de salud. El cáncer de próstata, por ejemplo, es el de mayor presencia en todas las razas. El cáncer colorrectal es el segundo de mayor presencia entre los latinos, mientras que el cáncer de pulmón es tercero en prevalencia entre los hombres hispanos (según cifras oficiales de los Centros ...
Según un reciente informe federal, el cáncer ha reemplazado la enfermedad del corazón como la causa principal de mortalidad entre hispanos, asiáticos y personas oriundas de las islas del Pacífico. Pero no es porque menos de ellos mueren por enfermedad del corazón. De hecho, más de ellos están falleciendo por las dos causas, e investigadores que tratan el tema tienen ideas sobre el porqué. La explicación más simple es que hay más personas, dijo Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., director del Institute for Population Health Improvement de la Universidad de California en Davis. Según datos de la Oficina del Censo, los hispanos y asiáticos han sido los dos grupos raciales y étnicos de mayor crecimiento en Estados Unidos en décadas recientes. Estas poblaciones crecientes también ...
If you want to quit smoking, it is better to quit all at once, NBC Health reports. A study by Oxford University “randomly assigned almost 700 adult smokers to either an abrupt quitting or gradual reduction group. Each person set a 'quit day' of two weeks after they entered the study, and saw a research nurse once a week until then.” After 4 weeks of tracking 700 adults, researchers found that 40% of the gradual group were not smoking compared to 49% of the abrupt quit group. "However, with smoking, the norm is to advise people to stop all at once and our study found evidence to support that," Nicola Lindson-Hawley, lead study author told Reuters Health by email. "What we found was that more people managed to quit when they stopped smoking all in one go than when they ...
Colon cancer is a top cause of cancer. Let’s use #SaludTues on March 1, 2016, to tweet information and resources on colorectal cancer so all people can prevent this cancer type. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Colorectal Cancer: What You Should Know”
DATE: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Fight Colorectal Cancer (@FightCRC), Colorectal Cancer Alliance (@CCAlliance), National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (@NCCRTnews) Questions we got via Social Media: What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?
How can colorectal cancer be prevented?
What screenings are available? Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter/X and share ...
