Cancer is a big concern for firefighters in San Antonio. Firefighting is classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Occupational cancer has become the leading cause of death among firefighters. Studies have shown that firefighters face a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer compared to the general U.S. population. Within the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD), more than 70 firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer in the past 10 years, including leukemia to multiple myeloma and cancers of the brain, thyroid, colon, prostate, and testicles. Many cases also go unreported. To help reduce the cancer risk among firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, SAFD, UT Health ...
Primary care practices that employ nurse practitioners (NPs) are more likely to serve low-income communities than practices with no NPs on staff, according to researchers from the Columbia University School of Nursing. Dr. Monica O’Reilly-Jacob, assistant professor and study leader, along with her colleagues looked at 79,743 primary care practices across the United States. Of these practices, 53.4% employed NPs in 2023, a large jump from 21% in 2012. Let’s go beyond the surface of these results and explore how it impacts others.
The Importance of Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that as of May 2023, 280,140 organizations employed nurse practitioners (NPs) nationally. According to the researchers, practices with NPs were more likely ...
1 in 7 American adults are impacted by kidney disease. The month of March is recognized as National Kidney Month and serves as a way to not only bring awareness to health issues like kidney disease and encouraging others to take charge of their health. “Kidney disease is known as a silent killer due to the fact that as many as 9 in 10 people living with the condition are unaware that they have it and do not have symptoms until the later stages,” according to the American Kidney Fund. Let’s dig deeper into this topic and how you can spread awareness during National Kidney Month!
1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK)
During National Kidney Month, the NIDDK has provided several resources, including a list of healthy lifestyle habits to ...
People, including Latinos, who are living with a serious illness face significant challenges in their health care experience, according to a research review from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), part of the nonprofit Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The research review analyzed over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles to understand the health care experience of Latino patients with serious illnesses, and their families and unpaid caregivers. This is important for all people because Latinos represent 19.5% of the US population and their experience is reflective of the healthcare experience of the entire US. Let’s take a closer look into 14 key findings and their impact on patients.
1. Evidence is inconclusive as to whether certain patients face issues in ...
Cancer screening can save lives by detecting cancer early, when it’s most treatable or before it starts. Watch a webinar about cancer screening at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “The Thing that Could Save Your Life,” which took place at 1 p.m. Central on March 4, 2025. The webinar featured experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Genentech, and a cancer survivor, who explored available cancer screenings and how to access them in South Texas and beyond. Panelists examined common myths and barriers to routine cancer screening, including the non-medical drivers of health, and strategies to overcome those myths and barriers. Panelists also shared other cancer prevention strategies from risk reduction and participating in clinical trials. This is a ...
Cancer is a big health issue for Latinos and all people. That’s why Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, partnered with the Mays Cancer Center to create the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) biennial conference. Read the proceedings from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 ASCL Conferences. The 2024 ASCL Conference on Feb. 21-23, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, welcomed over 280 prominent researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the globe to address cancer health disparities among Latinos. Conference sponsors included: platinum supporters Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, and Gilead; silver supporters GMaP Region 3, ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Cancer Center Priorities for Addressing Latino Cancer Health Gaps: A Fire-side Chat with Cancer Center Directors
This special session occurred at 9:00 a.m., Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at the 4th biennial Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference. Dr. Yolanda Sanchez is the Maurice and Marguerite Liberman Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, Professor in the University of New Mexico (UNM) Department of Internal Medicine Division of Molecular Medicine, and UNM Cancer Center Director and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Sanchez discussed the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC) and its mission to reduce the cancer burden and overcome the tremendous ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Increasing Participation in Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials
Dr. Paula Aristizabal is Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Medical Director of the International Outreach Program, and Quality Improvement Lead at the University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital. Differences in pediatric cancer Dr. Aristizabal’s presentation covered the demographic shift in the US, differences in pediatric cancer, gaps in clinical trial participation in pediatric cancer research, challenges to clinical trial participation in Latinos, and strategies to improve recruitment of Latinos to clinical trials. The Latino population ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Residence in a Latino Enclave and Clinical Outcomes in Texas Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Dr. Jeremy Schraw is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Schraw began by pointing out the higher incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among Latino children, and the poorer overall survival (OS) following diagnosis. Non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH) likely contribute to these inconsistencies. In fact, children living in Latino enclaves, defined as neighborhoods with a high proportion of Latino residents, recent immigrants, and linguistically isolated households, have poorer OS after ...
