By Minnie Morales
San Antonio Cancer Survivor I've always felt there are many ways to view any situation and essentially make light of anything you are going through. I never imagined having to face such dark days as early as 20 years old, but that is what God asked me to do. When I graduated high school and started getting my prerequisites for nursing school, life was hard enough transitioning into adulthood! I fully trusted the doctors when I showed them a large lump in my right breast that I found while sitting in my college class. "It's just a cyst... you're too young to get breast cancer, don't worry about it." Because breast cancer doesn't run in my family and I had never encountered anything like that at 19, I believed what I was told. I finished my ...
The coronavirus pandemic is causing fear and hoarding of groceries. But it's also inspiring beautiful acts of kindness around the nation. Kindness and equity can be rare during times of panic. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a serious condition that demands our attention. Smokers are uniquely susceptible. But, even amid an unusual disease outbreak, people and organizations are showing that kindness is instrumental in caring for people and promoting survival and health equity in tough times. "At a time of so much fear and uncertainty, these acts of kindness — for those committing and receiving them — are a desperately needed balm," says Latina writer Helen Ubiñas of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "A unifying act of humanity that reminds us that we are all in this ...
Health experts say smoking and vaping weakens the function of the lungs and could leave people more susceptible to coronavirus (COVID-19), which has sickened many and continues to spread around the world. Coronavirus is now a pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Serious consequences of COVID-19 feature pneumonia and affects the lung function, and is especially worrysome for those with weak lung or immune systems, reports Guardian Australia. Basically, this means now is a good time to quit smoking. "For most respiratory infections, you worry about people who smoke a bit more," said UK Professor Christopher Whitty, The Tab reports. "They’re more likely to get [coronavirus] and their immune system is less good."
Are Smokers More Susceptible to Coronavirus ...
Latino cancer survivors who have a "next-level" patient navigator—one who regularly calls to offer support and culturally tailored materials—have better health-related quality of life than survivors with a more passive navigator, according to a new study by UT Health San Antonio, University of Miami, and Northwestern University. The study, published in the journal Cancer, provided patient navigation services to 288 Latino breast, prostate, and colon cancer survivors in San Antonio and Chicago. Half of survivors got access to a typical navigator. They could reach out to their navigator for help with paperwork, transportation, appointment scheduling, translation, accompaniment, and more. The other half got access to a "next-level" patient navigator who offers the same ...
Updated 7/15/21 For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has afflicted many. In the U.S., certain local, state governments declared lock-downs and stay-in-place quarantines — efforts geared at limiting the spread of the novel COVID-19. Then lock-downs reopened, then locked down again as cases rose. Across the world, cases and deaths continue, as does public health responses, including vaccines. Governments, businesses, and people continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. Latinos are experiencing worsening health inequities, disparities in exposure, testing, prevention and treatment, and job impact. Latinos are experiencing disproportionately more cases and deaths, too. As equitable vaccine distribution becomes the focus, Latinos aren't getting enough ...
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. In fact, of all the clinical trials for those 50 drug approvals, fewer than 10% of participants were Latino or other people of color. 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 in Latinos conference Feb. 26-28, 2020, in San Antonio. The conference united nearly 300 researchers, oncologists, physicians, community leaders, policymakers and students. "We can’t ensure that cancer treatments—or intervention, prevention, and outreach methods—work for Latinos if they get left out of the picture," said Ramirez, who directs ...
Colorectal cancer, which starts in the colon or rectum, is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer. It also is the second-leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men and women. Fortunately, if discovered early, it is highly treatable. And you can take steps to lower your risk. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, to discuss colorectal cancer risk, screening, treatment, and survivorship in honor of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March. Altogether, we can show how everyone can get involved to prevent colorectal cancer! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: What You Should Know about Colorectal Cancer
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, March 3, 2020
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Fight Colorectal ...
Latinos are expected to see a 142% rise in cancer cases in coming years. To address this pressing health concern, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio is leading the 2nd Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference Feb. 26-28 at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio hotel. The conference will unite researchers, oncologists, physicians, community leaders, policymakers and students to tackle Latino cancer on many fronts. The conference will build on progress made at the inaugural conference, founded by UT Health San Antonio in 2018, which featured 225 cancer experts from 23 states. The proceedings from this conference were released in fall 2019 in Springer Open Books. “We are looking forward to gathering the brightest scientists, clinicians, advocates and students ...
February is American Heart Month. While awareness is important for all people, certain groups—like Latinos—are at a higher risk for heart-related diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in the United States. For Latinos, it is the second-leading cause of death behind cancer. Let’s use #SaludTues on Feb. 25, 2020, to tweetchat about ways to promote heart health for Latinos and all people! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Healthy Hearts: Celebrating American Heart Month!”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: The Heart Truth (@TheHeartTruth), Public Health Maps (@PublicHealthMap), U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services' Region 2 ...
