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Hispanic Heritage Month is a month when we celebrate the milestones and achievements of Hispanic and Latinos.
Some of those individuals overcame countless hurdles, such as health issues, societal unfairness, and mistreatment to carve out a better path for future generations.
One of the ways we honor the past is to preserve the future.
Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors can honor those who came before them by paving the way for future survivors by joining the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Study at UT Health San Antonio.
What Is the Avanzando Caminos Study?
The Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Study takes a deeper look at some of the factors that survivors experience that may influence long-term health outcomes following treatment.
These factors ultimately align with the non-medical drivers of health such as societal, behavioral, mental, or biological.
Participants in the study meet with members of the study team to discuss these factors in a series of guided interviews.
The aim of the study is to reveal common factors that may lead to new interventions for cancer survivors such as group therapies or other support resources.
But they can’t discover these without help of Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors living all the way from the San Antonio-Austin Metropolitan area to the Rio Grande Valley.
Why Does the Study Focus on Hispanic/Latinos?
The Avanzando Caminos study’s focus on Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors stems from the group being an under researched population.
Despite being a leading cause of death in the Latino community, very few Latinos seek clinical trials and research studies to find out why Latinos are more impacted than other groups.
“It was really important for me to find out what was causing cancer in our community,” said study leader Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio and Mays Cancer Center.
“What we’re finding in our study is that our Latino population is being diagnosed at a later stage, and so therefore they have more advanced cancer that sometimes the treatment is not as effective.”
In fact, participants are hoping the study answers the big question of the link between Hispanic/Latinos and cancer.
“Why does it hit up on Hispanics? I want to know answers,” said Linda, a participant in the Avanzando Caminos study.
Do You Identify as Hispanic/Latino?
Given the impact of cancer on the Latino community, the Avanzando Caminos study needed to be in a place with a rich population of Hispanic/Latinos making San Antonio, along with another site in Miami, the perfect location to seek out participants.
With its proximity to the border, San Antonio is home to thousands of Hispanic/Latinos — many with stories of survivorship to tell.
“We know that San Antonio’s Latino population is getting a little bit more [variety], mainly because a military site, and often individuals have come through San Antonio for training, and sometimes they come back for retirement,” Dr. Ramirez explained in a recent podcast about the study.
But the study isn’t just limited to Mexican Americans, it accepts people of all Latino/Hispanic backgrounds.
“Even though we’re thinking the majority would be of Mexican American descent, we’re very open to anybody who feels that they identify as Puerto Ricans, Cubans or South Americans or Central Americans. We welcome everybody into our study,” she said.
Just like their background and unique experiences, each participant brings something new to the table, getting the community one step closer to helping survivors.
Just like Amber Lopez, who survived cervical cancer, and Angelina Vazquez Felsing, who survived lung cancer. Both shared their journeys with the Avanzando Caminos team.
“Every story is unique, and every story is worth understanding and learning from,” program manager Dr. Derek Rodriguez.
Join the Avanzando Caminos Study
The Avanzando Caminos study is looking to recruit and enroll 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in South Texas.
Participants must be 18 or older, and have completed primary cancer treatment for breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, prostate, stomach or cervical cancer within the last 10 years.
Volunteers will participate in seven study visits over five years, each with assessment interviews, and some with blood draws.
To volunteer for Avanzando Caminos or ask questions, contact the bilingual study team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio at 210-562-6514 or caminos@uthscsa.edu.
Volunteers are eligible for $50 per visit!
Find out more on the Avanzando Caminos website in (English) or (Spanish).
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