Latinas and older, poorer women all are more likely to have lymph nodes under the armpit removed unnecessarily during breast cancer surgery, according to a new study, Reuters reports. That's despite 2005 guidelines recommending a gentler surgery that spares most of the lymph nodes, avoiding side effects like pain, swelling and numbness down the line. Based on a California cancer registry, researchers found that more than a third of about 18,000 women who had undergone mastectomy for early-stage breast cancer had had their lymph nodes removed as well. Yet all of these women had node-negative tumors, meaning the cancer had not spread beyond the ...
Diabetes affects nearly 26 million people in the U.S. Another 79 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes. Diabetics are at risk for diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of vision loss. While all people with diabetes can develop diabetic eye disease, Latinos, African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and older adults are at higher risk of losing vision or going blind from it. “The longer a person has diabetes the greater is his or her risk of developing diabetic eye disease,” said Dr. Suber Huang, chair of the Diabetic Eye Disease Subcommittee for the National Eye Institute’s (NEI) National Eye Health Education Program. “If you have diabetes, be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Diabetic eye disease often has no ...
To address the needs of Latino cancer survivors, the LIVESTRONG organization created a cancer survivorship training curriculum to increase the number of Latino community health workers, otherwise known as promotores, and their skills, knowledge and confidence on the physical, emotional and day-to-day concerns of cancer survivors. To date, LIVESTRONG has trained more than 500 promotores across the country. What exactly is a promotora? Watch this video of Guadalupe Cornejo, a promotora at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, who explains what she does and who she helps. To see more of what a promotora does, watch a video, "A Day in the Life of a Promotora," in English subtitles or ...
Be sure to check out a new event, Nursewise: Tobacco Cessation, Nutrition and Physical Activity, at 8 a.m. Nov. 12, 2011, at Courtyard by Marriott in San Antonio, Texas. The event will initiate discussion on current recommendations and evidence-based techniques for every nurse. Register here. The registration fee is $50 for nurses and $25 for promotores, community health workers and students. The program is presented by the Nurse Oncology Education Program (find out more here) and made possible by a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of ...
Margaret Moran, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), explored the often-frightening term "breast cancer" among Hispanics in a recent Huffington Post article. She notes that, even though Latinas have lower breast cancer rates, they are screened less and are diagnosed at later disease stages. Breast cancer is alos the most-diagnosed cancer among Latinas.
When I was a young girl, we didn't talk about breast cancer. Now, we must not only talk about it, but be sure that all women have access to proper screenings and treatments. We need to ensure that Hispanic women have the knowledge and medical care to put an end to this disease. Breast cancer affects everyone, not just the person diagnosed. Likewise, everyone needs to do their part to minimize the risks ...
Latina TV star Ana Maria Polo, host of the popular Telemundo show Caso Cerrado, will appear in a new public service announcement (PSA) for Stand Up to Cancer, bringing her signature courtroom resolve to the fight against cancer. Polo, a breast cancer survivor herself, joins a long list of national and international celebrity supporters of the Stand Up to Cancer initiative, which raises awareness and funds for collaborative cancer research. Watch the video here or ...
Check out this new video from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) focusing on cancer health disparities—differences in the rates of disease and death among minorities compared to other population groups. The video features perspectives from numerous Congressional officials, federal agency leaders, and a clinician on possible policy prescriptions that are necessary to help reduce cancer health disparities. Also featured is Latino Congressman Raul Grijalva from ...
Breast cancer survivors are invited to join a San Antonio-area study that is testing how different types of exercise—like yoga—best improve cancer survivors’ fitness and quality of life and decreases the risk of recurrence. The project, Improving Mind and Physical ACTivity (IMPACT), is led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Over the yearlong IMPACT study, 90 breast cancer survivors will be randomized to participate at least three times a week in: 1) a comprehensive exercise “prescription” featuring an individualized aerobic, strength-training and flexibility program; 2) a yoga exercise program; or 3) general exercise chosen at will. Study recruitment is underway. For eligibility, call 210-593-2669. “We ...
Did you know that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality among U.S. Latinas? Alarmingly, Hispanic women are 20 percent more likely to die from breast cancer when compared to non-Hispanic white women when diagnosed at a similar age and stage. In response, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is launching Lazos que Perduran, a national, culturally relevant, educational initiative that empowers Latinas with the knowledge and resources to take action. Targeting young adults, the Lazos initiative will promote our breast self awareness messages (know your risk, get screened, know what is normal for you and make healthy lifestyle choices) and motivate them to influence their loved ones to do the same. Telenovela actress Angelica Maria, and her daughter, ...
