ROUNDUP: Upcoming Cancer-Related Conferences



Check out these upcoming conferences on Latino health and cancer health disparities issues: Health Disparities Conference: March 6-8, 2012 Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy's Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education will host its Fifth Health Disparities Conference March 6-8, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference, titled Achieving Health Equity through Access, Advocacy, Treatment, and Policy Development, will include discussions on successful multidisciplinary models for improved health systems outcomes. NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation: March 19-20, 2012 The 5th Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation: Science at the Crossroads is scheduled March 19-20, 2012 in ...

Read More

VIDEO: Reaching Border-Area Latina Moms and Daughters to Prevent Cervical Cancer



Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, a professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, is promoting the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer in South Texas. Her project, Entre Madre e Hija, trains peer educators to provide outreach and education about HPV—the virus that causes cervical cancer—and navigation support to both mothers and daughters (ages 11-17) who decide to receive the HPV vaccine. The peer educators have reached more than 1,800 women so far. “Our outreach efforts have been very successful,” Dr. Parra-Medina said. “We have found many young girls that have initiated the vaccine but have not completed the three-dose series. As a result, our efforts now include a focus on increasing compliance with the 3 dose ...

Read More

Advances in Latino Cancer Screening, Liver Cancer, Obesity & More



Find the latest in Latino health—from helping underserved Latinos get cancer screening, to exploring reasons why liver cancer is on the rise among Latinos, to helping Latinos pursue doctoral degrees—in the new E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. The IHPR E-newsletter has these stories: Story and Video: A New Way to Help Underserved Local Latinos Get Cancer Screens (Pg 1) Story: How Did an IHPR Employee Get a Coveted Internship Using His Christmas Present? (Pg 2) Story: New Research Briefs Examine Obesity in Latino Youths (Pg 3) Videos: New Training Videos on Patient Navigation (Pg 4) Story: Apply by 3/1/12 for Éxito to Get Help Pursuing a Doctoral Degree (Pg 5) Story: Latino Liver Cancer ...

Read More

New Project to Offer Cancer Screening to Underserved Latinos in San Antonio



Two University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio researchers today were awarded a total of $4.7 million by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). These awards for cancer prevention, along with $2.9 million to University Health System, make San Antonio the largest recipient of funds in this CPRIT funding cycle—28% the $26.3 million awarded. Dr. Cynthia Mojica, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center, will use a $2 million award to partner with federally qualified health center CentroMed and community organizations to offer breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening to San Antonio residents otherwise unable to afford them. “This grant allows us to ...

Read More

U.S. Cancer Rates Keep Falling; Biggest Decline Among Hispanic, Black Men



A new report from the American Cancer Society indicates that cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.8% per year in men and 1.6% per year in women between 2004 and 2008, thanks to advances in cancer screening and treatment, Reuters reports. While the rate of decline is small, experts say, it is significant because it has continued to fall each year in the past 10. Cancer death rates among Hispanic men (2.3%) and black men (2.4%) had the biggest declines. But the news is not all good. According to the Reuters report: Despite improvements in the most common cancers, a companion report found an increase in cases of several cancers over the past decade, Reuters. These included cancers of the pancreas, liver, thyroid, and kidney and melanoma, as well as esophageal cancer ...

Read More

VIDEO: Latinos, Others Honored for Overcoming Obstacles to Tackle Community Health Problems



Watch this new video that tells the heartwarming stories of the 10 men and women who were recently honored as Community Health Leaders by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for overcoming daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for those in disadvantaged or underserved communities across the country. Two Latinos are among the awardees. At the video's 6:32 mark, listen to how Latino father Richard Nares was recognized for developing a successful model to support and transport low-income families with children battling cancer to medical visits. Or read more about him here. At the video's 7:23 mark, listen to how Dr. Gabriel Rincón was recognized for launching Mixteca Organization, Inc., which provides health and education programs to thousands of Latino New Yorkers ...

Read More

VIDEOS: Training on Patient Navigation & Latino Cancer Issues



Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network has released three videos on cancer issues and research methods that were used to train Redes En Acción researchers and patient navigators in Miami and San Antonio and Austin, Texas, who are involved in a study examining how patient navigators who use the LIVESTRONG Cancer Navigation Services Program can improve the quality of life of Latino breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors. The videos are designed specifically for the study, funded by the National Cancer Institute; but the videos may be useful in any patient navigator studies involving Latinos. Video 1 teaches researchers and patient navigators the proper steps on how to manage a potential mental health emergency or psychological related emergency that may ...

Read More

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Maria Priscilla Brietzke



Editor's Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program. Maria Priscilla Brietzke Houston, Texas After seeing how media can help improve Latinas’ health behavior during a practicum along the Texas-Mexico Border, Maria Priscilla Brietzke believes that small changes have big power to help the disadvantaged. Brietzke, who currently is a research assisting at the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston School of Nursing, is focusing on making both small and large changes in age-related chronic illness. Because she had questions about balancing work and life in a doctoral-level research career, she took a friend’s ...

Read More

Latino Father Helps Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Families Travel to Chemotherapy Appointments



Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. When his only child Emilio died of cancer shortly before his sixth birthday, Richard Nares found his world was shattered. As he and his wife tried to put their lives back together, Nares realized his priorities had changed. “All I wanted to do was help other families who were going through what we went through,” said Nares, who was an artist and picture framer. Putting his family’s tragedy and hard-earned knowledge to use, Nares and his wife Diane established the Emilio Nares Foundation to transport underprivileged families whose children are battling cancer to their medical visits at Rady Children’s Hospital ...

Read More