Want To Do Something About Latino Cancer?



Interested in getting involved in the effort to reduce Latino cancer? Go here and click the logo to join Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network. Redes, a National Cancer Institute-funded initiative to combat cancer among Latinos, has built a nationwide network of community-based organizations, research institutions, government health agencies and the public. Redes activities include promoting training and research opportunities for Latino students and researchers, generating research projects, and supporting cancer awareness activities within the Latino community. Redes is led by the team that runs SaludToday. Joining the Redes network allow you to receive the latest news, stories and events on the work being done to fight Latino cancer. Join ...

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SaludToday at APHA: Latina Breast Cancer



Here is a quick summary of the Latino-related research presented by Sandra San Miguel (pictured), a SaludToday and Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) investigator, at this week's APHA meeting in Philadelphia: Hispanic women are less likely than non-Hispanic white women to comply with breast cancer treatment recommendations. One way to improve compliance is to identify resources within the Hispanic culture to tailor culturally appropriate programming that improves follow-through with treatment. Because the family is an important part of the Hispanic culture, the IHPR attempted to understand the nature of the familial relationship with respect to breast cancer treatment. 117 breast cancer patients and their family members were surveyed about their breast cancer treatment ...

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APHA Meeting Features SaludToday Researchers



The American Public Health Association's 137th Annual Meeting, which has a theme of "Water and Public Health," started this weekend and continues until Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, in Philadelphia. SaludToday will be represented at the meeting by two of its researchers, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, who will be presenting on Latino childhood obesity, and Sandra San Miguel, who will be presenting on Latino breast cancer. Dr. Ramirez directs the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and San Miguel is an IHPR research instructor.   For a blog about the meeting, click ...

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Story: Rafael Chavez, A ‘Touchdown’ for Health



Rafael Chavez, a master sergeant at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, was destined to be a Dallas Cowboys fan growing up in Mission, Texas, where Coach Tom Landry was born a legend. He even spent $75 on a Landry football card from the 1960s. Unlike his clean-cut hero Landry, though, Chavez had a blemish – he was a smoker. He started smoking at age 15. He was a regular smoker by 18. Now years later, Chavez decided to start over and quit smoking for good. He’s been smokeless for six months – and he says he feels like he has scored a Super Bowl touchdown. “[It’s like] scoring in the Super Bowl; you’re not doing it for the fans. You’re not doing it for anyone. You’re doing it for yourself because the reason you smoke is for yourself. You have to do it for yourself ...

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Story: Joan Treviño Lawhon, Latina Cancer Survivor



Joan Treviño Lawhon of San Antonio had a choice: let breast cancer take over, or fight to survive. "Within an hour of my diagnosis, I was at Barnes & Noble buying layman's books on breast cancer. We can freeze and let the disease consume us, or we can fight. My choice was to fight. I was going to make sure my choice was an informed one." She highlighted passages in her books and wrote down  questions to ask her doctors. She leaned on her faith and her family when she had to have surgery. Now she is a survivor. "Now if people see me in a low-cut gown, I love hearing them say, 'You don't look like you had cancer,' because they are right. I had cancer. And I thank God for those beautiful ...

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LAF Petitioning Congress to Ensure Care for Cancer Survivors



Many cancer survivors are denied new health coverage or have their coverage revoked at critical times. So the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is seeking signatures on an online petition that urges Congress to support health care reform that does not deny health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions and ensures that no American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment. To sign the online petition, go to LIVESTRONG. Watch the video below to see LIVESTRONG President and CEO Doug Ulman report after delivering 65,000 of the petition signatures thus far to ...

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NCI Profiles in Cancer Research: Dr. Cruz-Correa



Watch Dr. Marcia Cruz-Correa, of the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, tell about her cancer research and how cancer screening helps people, especially minorities.   Find out more about Dr. Cruz-Correa at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer ...

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Vicente Escobedo is a family man. That’s why his daughter’s words hurt him so much.



“Daddy, you smell ugly. You smell like smoke.” These words, spoken by his daughter, helped Vicente Escobedo quit smoking. Vicente, a 21-year-old, hardworking San Antonio native and father of two daughters, is a resource specialist for the San Antonio Fatherhood Campaign, where he helps mentor young fathers to make healthy, strong families. He began to realize that he was doing something that wasn’t making his own family strong or healthier – he was smoking. Vicente first tried cigarettes at age 16. By 18, he was smoking two packs a week. But his daughter’s urging and the soaring price of cigarettes led Vincente to stop smoking. In the 10 months since he has quit, he has seen how young people think smoking cigarettes makes them cool and macho, and he doesn’t want his daughters ...

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Welcome!



The SaludToday blog brings you the latest stories, news, research and information on many different aspects of Latino health, including cancer, obesity and culture’s impact on health. This blog will feature news, polls and stories about Latino life and health, from research on Latino health to interventions to boost fitness and prevent obesity among Latino children to unique stories of Latino cancer survivors, and much more. Sign up with us to comment on blog entries and suggest ...

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