Do You Have Warning Signs for Gynecologic Cancer?



The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts about Gynecologic Cancer campaign has launched English and Spanish resources to educate the public about the different types of gynecologic cancer, warning signs, etc. Each year in the U.S., 76,500 women are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer (cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancer) and 26,500 die from it. The campaign urges people to: Pay attention to your body and know what is normal for you. Gynecologic cancers have warning signs. When gynecologic cancers are found early, treatment is most effective. If you notice any vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you, or you have any other unexplained signs or symptoms that last for two weeks or longer, see a doctor right away. Get a Pap ...

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Latinas Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at Younger Age



Once again, here's more evidence that underscores the importance of breast cancer screening for Latinas: From the Houston Chronicle: Mexican-American women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a significantly younger age than Caucasian women, a surprising finding from a new study that raises more questions about the recent push to delay routine screening. University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center researchers surveyed women in Hispanic neighborhoods in Harris County and found nearly half of those with the potentially deadly disease were diagnosed before they turned 50, about 10 years earlier than the national average for all women. "This study shows the need to consider all populations when developing prevention and screening strategies," said Melissa Bondy, an M.D. Anderson ...

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Houston Celebrates 3rd Year of Smoking Ban; Resources Can Help Smokers Quit



Congratulations, Houston! A few days ago a large group of minority health coalitions, doctors and elected officials celebrated the third anniversary of Houston’s successful smoking ban urging Houstonians “to see their doctors and put down their cigarettes for good.” “Smoke Free for 3,” a campaign lead by the Hispanic Health Coalition, Asian American Health Coalition, African American Health Coalition, Native American Health Coalition, and Houston Communities for Safe Indoor Air (HCSIA), recognized the City of Houston’s leadership and success in creating more smoke free workplaces and public spaces effective Sept. 1, 2007. However, despite the success in public policies, smoking continues to be a significant personal health issue for many Houstonians, particularly for ...

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Roundup: San Antonio Health Events on ‘Sexting,’ Health Care Reform



Check out these health-related events coming up in the San Antonio area: At 5:30 p.m. today (Sept. 8), the community is inivted to attend a discussion panel, Sexting: Educating Youth on Safe Texting, at Girls Inc. of San Antonio, 1209 S. St. Mary’s, an affiliate of the national Girls Inc. organization that delivers programs that help empower local girls ages 6-18 and increase their self-esteem. Panelists include San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. The community also is invited to attend another panel, Health Care Reform and the Cancer Patient, at 10 a.m. Sept. 25, 2010, in Room 3.104 of the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive. The panel, supported by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR), the team behind ...

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Smoking Remains a Serious Problem in Latino Community



Latinos generally have lower rates of smoking than other racial/ethnic groups with the exception of Asian Americans. However, smoking remains a continuing and serious problem in the Latino community. Get all the key facts on Latino smoking from the American Lung Association. And if you're a Latino who is thinking about quitting smoking, be sure to check out the Buena Vida health magazine in English or Spanish that tells the stories of five Latinos and how they kicked the habit and what it meant for their lives. The Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind Salud Today, produced the magazine and other tobacco prevention ...

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‘Insider’ Training Program to Increase Number of Latino Researchers Studying Latino Cancer



Question: Who might have insider information about Latinos that would pave the way for novel studies of cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic issues to prevent Latinos from suffering worse cancer outcomes? Answer: A cancer researcher who also is a Latino. To that end, the new Latino Training Program for Cancer Control Research (LTPCCR), led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio thanks to a new five-year, $1.57-million grant from the National Cancer Institute, aims to motivate Latinos to get their doctoral degree and become “insider researchers” in the field of cancer control among Latinos. Right now, few Latinos pursue doctoral degrees or cancer research careers, causing a gap in the amount of ...

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Get Involved in the Fight Against Latino Cancer



Here are some ways you can get involved in the fight against cancer: Join Redes En Acción You're invited to join Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network and become part of a nationwide effort to fight cancer among Latinos. Redes, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of SaludToday and the Institute of Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, has spent 10 years reducing Latino cancer. Redes has generated more than $200 million in funding for cancer research, trained more than 200 students and professionals and conducted more than 2,000 community education events and developed bilingual educational materials. Join a Cancer Clinical Trial The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has a ...

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Join Redes En Acción & Help Fight Latino Cancer



You're invited to join Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network and become part of a nationwide effort to fight cancer among Latinos. Redes, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of SaludToday and the Institute of Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, has spent 10 years reducing Latino cancer. Redes has generated more than $200 million in funding for cancer research, trained more than 200 students and health professionals and conducted more than 2,000 community education events and developed bilingual educational materials and PSAs. Watch a stirring video here or below about the program’s achievements among Latinos. Then join us! Also, watch the program’s six new PSAs ...

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Darker skin doesn’t mean melanoma immunity



Melanoma is on the rise among certain groups of dark-skinned Floridians, new research shows, Reuters reports. The study isn't sure why but does provide an important main message: "Just because you have darker skin pigmentation, whether you're Hispanic or black, does not make you immune to skin cancer," Dr. Robert S. Kirsner of the University of Miami told Reuters Health. Melanoma remains much rarer among blacks and Hispanics than among whites, which helps explain why public health efforts to prevent melanoma chiefly target the light-skinned. In the current study, for example, in 2004 there were about 26 cases of melanoma diagnosed for every 100,000 persons per year among U.S. whites, compared to 4 cases for Hispanics and less than 1 case for non-Hispanic blacks. Nevertheless, ...

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