Innovation in Preventing Latino Cervical Cancer, Obesity & More



Find the latest in Latino health—from fighting Latina cervical cancer to innovative ways to tackle Latino childhood obesity—in the new E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. The IHPR E-newsletter has these stories: Story and Video: Preventing Cervical Cancer in South Texas (Pg 1) Story: How an “Exercise Avoider” Became an “Exercise Promoter” (Pg 2) Story: The Importance of Latino Biospecimens (Pg 2) Story: 20 Studies Tackle Latino Childhood Obesity (Pg 3) Story: Who is Promotora of the Year? (Pg 4) Videos: “Feeding Minds” Series Addresses Hunger, Obesity in Texas (Pg 6) The E-newsletter is jam-packed with even more info on the latest local and national health ...

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VIDEO: How to Bring Cancer Education, Screening to Underserved Latinos



Step 1: Innovative cancer education. Step 2: Cancer screening. Step 3: Catching cancer at early, treatable stages. That’s the life-saving idea behind Salud San Antonio!, a new $2 million research project led by Dr. Cynthia Mojica, assistant professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Salud San Antonio! will partner with several community groups and employ community health workers—also known as promotoras—to teach Latinos in low-income, health-problematic areas on the city’s West and South sides about breast, cervical and colorectal cancer and the benefits of cancer screening. After promotoras teach, they’ll refer Latinos for cancer screening and even help with travel to appointments, interpreting medical forms and ...

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How Can You Contribute to the Improvement of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention?



Latinos, you may not know how important it is for cancer researchers to have racial/ethnic biospecimens. Increasing the number of Latino biospecimens—or samples of biological material, such as blood, urine, saliva, tissue, tumors, etc.—will be critical to accelerating our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer and creating a more accurate genome in many types of cancers that disproportionately affect Latinos. This, in turn, will lead to the development of better diagnostic tools; and ultimately, to improve our ability to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer among all people. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is a joint effort between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). TCGA uses an integrated approach of connecting ...

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NCI’s Cancer.gov Goes Mobile



The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched a new mobile website, m.cancer.gov. Designed specifically for mobile phone users on any mobile platform, the site in English and Spanish offers much of the same high-quality information found on cancer.gov's desktop site. Available in English and Spanish, m.cancer.gov provides cancer patients, their loved ones, and their caregivers with credible, current information about: A wide range of cancer types Cancer diagnosis and treatment Dealing with treatment side effects Questions to ask your doctor Breaking and current cancer news A dictionary of cancer terms that includes audio pronunciations One-touch connection to NCI's 1-800-4-CANCER information specialist line In the future, additional content, including information about ...

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Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Marievelisse Soto-Salgado



Editor's Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program. Marievelisse Soto-Salgado Puerto Rico Marievelisse Soto-Salgado grew up dedicated to solving public health problems in what she calls “La Isla del Encanto”—her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She got her passion for science and research through her time obtaining a bachelor’s degree in general sciences and a master’s degree in public health. She’s even been working for several years with a team of researchers at the University of Puerto Rico on a National Cancer Institute-funded cancer research project, and she coordinates a Biostatistics and Bioinformatics ...

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Study: Diabetes Linked to Kidney Cancer among Hispanics



A study of San Antonio-area kidney cancer patients shows a strong link to diabetes, with the most advanced cancers found in those with the worst control over their blood sugar, the San Antonio Express-News reports. The study, led by Dr. Samy Habib of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and recently published in the Journal of Cancer, reviewed the medical records of 473 local patients who underwent surgery for clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, between 1994 and 2009. Of those, 120, or 25.4%, had a history of diabetes. About 75% of the diabetics were Hispanic and tended to be younger than ...

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Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Laura Reyes



Editor's Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program. Laura Reyes San Antonio, Texas Laura Reyes is a native South Texan who developed a thirst for knowledge early in life, often visiting the library as a child with her mother, who was going through grad school. As she continued to seek knowledge, her interest in science and the human body grew, and she eventually attended Loyola New Orleans University. Then the Hurricane Katrina disaster brought her back to San Antonio—a fortuitous transfer to St. Mary’s University that eventually got her interested in research techniques. Reyes now is a master’s of public health ...

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Promotora of the Year: Marynieves Diaz-Mendez



Marynieves Diaz-Mendez has been selected as the 2011 LIVESTRONG Promotora of the Year. Diaz-Mendez, a trained physician in her native Cuba, is a promotora—or trained community health educator—who has been working with Redes En Acción in the California Bay Area to increase Latino cancer survivors’ access to and knowledge of LIVESTRONG national navigation services. Redes En Acción is a national Latino cancer research network led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. LIVESTRONG, founded by cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, connects cancer patients and survivors to the support they need, leverages funding and resources to spur innovation and engages communities and leaders to drive ...

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Deadline Extended to 3/9/12 for Éxito! Training and Internship Program



You now have until March 9, 2012, to apply for the 2012 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program! Éxito! conducts a five-day summer institute and offers $2,000 internships to encourage minority master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities research. The 2012 summer institute is June 7-12, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas. Éxito! participants also are eligible to receive one of six paid internships (see details in application). How exactly can the program benefit you? Ask Mariana Arevalo, a graduate of the 2011 Éxito! program: “Éxito! was a boost of confidence and a tremendous encouragement for me to apply to doctoral programs. Now more than ever, I’m confident ...

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