Cancer can have a big cost. That cost is physical and emotional – but also financial. From lack of insurance to access to affordable care, the financial strain of cancer can keep patients from getting the care they need, resulting in worse health outcomes and higher risk of death. Dr. Mateo Banegas appeared on an episode of the What I Wish I Knew: A Cancer Podcast on Jan. 27, 2026, to discuss the financial challenges of getting fair cancer treatment. Banegas is an associate professor and co-director of CHEER in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences (RMAS) at the UCSD School of Medicine. Let’s take a look at the topics he covered and how they can help you or someone you know who is dealing with cancer.
The Hidden Cost of Cancer
In ...
Gregory Aune was 16 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Aune spent a year enduring grueling treatment, losing over 70 pounds. But he survived. His experience motivated him to pursue a clinical career and help children with cancer. Today, Dr. Aune is an associate professor of pediatric hematology and oncology at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI) of UT Health San Antonio, on a mission to find new ways to help and heal patients. That's why he helped found the Gear Up Against Kids Cancer Bike Ride — to raise awareness of childhood cancer and support the mission of the GCCRI. The inaugural Gear Up Against Kids Cancer Bike Ride took place on April 2, 2022, in Floresville, Texas. The 5th annual bike ride is set for 8 a.m. on Saturday, May ...
The 2026 New Year brings about new resolutions for many hoping to adopt a healthier lifestyle like eating healthier or exercising more. Quitting smoking could help, too. With several health problems stemming from smoking including cancer, heart disease, and respiratory infections, why not quit smoking as a resolution? Let’s dive into the facts and benefits of leaving smoking behind in 2025!
Rates of Latino Smokers
49.2 million (19.8%)—or nearly 1 in 5—U.S. adults reported current tobacco product use in 2022, according to the CDC. How does this impact Latinos? About 1 in 13 (7.7%) Hispanic or Latino adults in the U.S. smokes cigarettes, according to the CDC. Cigarette smoking also is more common for Latino men than Latinas. Latino youth can also be targeted ...
Breast cancer is a common cancer affecting US women, including Latinas. While breast cancer is very treatable, many Latinas get diagnosed at later stages when the cancer has already spread, resulting in a higher risk of death. The best way to detect breast cancer early is by getting your annual mammogram. However, many women, including Latinas, have dense breast tissue, making it harder to conduct a mammogram and detect cancer. Here are eight things you need to know about breast density and cancer.
1. Dense Breasts Occur When There is Less Fat than Tissue
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) defines dense breasts as a measure of how two types of breast tissue found in the breast compared to the amount of fat tissue. Dense breasts are categorized ...
Now comprising 20% of the US population, Latinos are among the fastest-growing populations in the country. They are also afflicted with some of the highest rates of cancer, especially cancers with lower survival rates like stomach cancer. In honor of Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and a cancer health researcher at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, and Dr. Derek Rodriguez, a research scientist at UT Health San Antonio, appeared on the Debbie’s Dream Foundation From the Gut podcast. In the podcast’s fourth episode, the pair of cancer researchers focused on the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study and the importance of creating a community of ...
Liver cancer, one of the fastest growing causes of cancer-related deaths in the US, affects many people in the South Texas area with its large Latino population. That is why researchers are working hard to improve early detection of liver cancer. Exact Sciences, the company responsible for Cologuard, a popular brand of colorectal at-home testing kits, announced new findings on its new blood test that aims to detect early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is a common form of liver cancer, according to a company news release. Let’s explore the new findings can benefit the health of Latinos and all people.
Early Liver Cancer Detection
Exact Sciences’ liver cancer blood test, Oncoguard, has been in clinical testing. The new test results show that the product ...
Yolanda “Yoli” Barrera Day wasn’t aware she had stomach cancer. Not very many do because from a health standpoint, stomach cancer looks like any other gastrointestinal ailment. But for Yoli, stomach cancer preyed on her advancing age. After months of suffering from symptoms such as extreme fatigue and shortness of breath, Yoli was diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma. It was a diagnosis that most may deem a death sentence, but not Yoli. Yoli was determined to make it out the other side and help others do the same by becoming a health leader and supporter for change.
Deceptive Symptoms Hiding Stomach Cancer
It was early 2021 and Yoli was feeling more tired than usual. While the exhaustion was draining, it wasn’t enough to raise ...
For the last few years, Hispanic/Latinos living in South Texas have been sharing their cancer stories with the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort study team at UT Health San Antonio. But up until now those stories were limited to survivors of prostate, colorectal, lung, stomach, liver, endometrial, breast, cervical, and kidney cancers. Now it’s time for the bladder, melanoma, ovarian, thyroid, and lymphoma cancer survivors to share their journeys, too. The Avanzando Caminos study is now enrolling participants who have completed their primary cancer treatments for one of the designated cancer types within the last 10 years. share your story with avanzando caminos!
What is the Avanzando Caminos Study?
The Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino ...
On a late October night, Linda Mota woke with a start. While her mind should have been consumed with choosing a family Halloween costume, her thoughts were elsewhere. “I was laying down and something inside of me told me, check your side,” she said. What Linda felt wasn’t overwhelming, but it was clear there was a small lump there, resembling the shape of a little ball. She initially dismissed what she found, but her intuition continued to scream at her that something was amiss. “Something inside of me told me, ‘No. you need to get checked, you need to get checked,’” she told herself. It turned out she had breast cancer.
Linda Mota and Her Startling Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in the ...
