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Cancer is a serious health threat in South Texas.
To improve cancer education and care for these communities, the Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center (MRGB AHEC) is launching the “Every Cancer, Every Story: A Series of Conversations” in collaboration with the UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).
The series will feature cancer-education webinars in June (brain), July (bone), September (prostate), and November (pancreas).
“All cancers are equally important. They all impact on the quality of life for the individual, family, and community. The research shows that the earlier the detection, the earlier the treatment. Therefore, providing education on these types of cancer could lead to saving lives,” said Dr. Julie Bazan, MRGB AHEC Director.
About the South Texas Region
The MRGB AHEC, located in Laredo, Texas, serves Webb, Zapata, La Salle, Duval, Jim Hogg, Willacy, Starr, and Dimmit Counties.
The MRGB AHEC primarily serves Hispanic populations, often making up 85% to 95% of the total, depending on the county.
Many counties in this region fall between 25% and 40%, with Starr, Zapata, Dimmit, and Jim Hogg among the highest‑poverty counties in the state.
Multiple counties are designated as medically underserved. Insurance coverage is lower than the statewide average.
The uninsured rate varies between 25% and 38% across different counties.
“The MRGB AHEC team was inspired to launch an initiative aimed at providing ongoing education and information about available services for residents in the region,” Bazan said.
“Given the limited availability of specialty services, and in some cases the absence of such services, the MRGB AHEC recognized the opportunity to collaborate with the Mays Cancer Center. This collaboration resulted in a free service designed to connect residents with information, services, education, and access to cancer care.”
Webinar 1: Brain Cancer in South Texas
While rates for brain cancer in South Texas are lower compared to others like breast and lung cancers, populations in South Texas, especially Latinos, face challenges in aspects like early detection, non-medical drivers of health, and health outcomes.
rEgister for the presentation!
Webinar 2: Bone Cancer in South Texas
A 2025 study found that in certain parts of South Texas, individuals are more likely to develop primary malignant bone neoplasms, cancerous tumors that originate directly in the bone or its surrounding cartilage.
Learn more about bone cancer and how it impacts the South Texas community.
SAVE THE DATE: July 2026
Webinar 3: Prostate Cancer in South Texas
In September, the presentation series will focus on prostate cancer.
In Texas, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men. In addition, Latinos in Webb County and the Lower Rio Grande Valley region had significantly higher incidence rates of prostate cancer than those in South Texas overall, research states.
Explore prostate cancer and how it affects populations in South Texas.
SAVE THE DATE: September 2026
Webinar 4: Pancreatic Cancer in South Texas
In 2026, an estimated 67,530 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.
Hear from experts on pancreatic cancer and what steps to take to prevent and detect it early.
SAVE THE DATE: November 2026
Behind the Webinar Series on South Texas Community Conversations
The “Every Cancer, Every Story: A Series of Conversations” webinar series is a collaboration of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center (MRGB AHEC) and Mays Cancer Center Office of Community Engagement and Outreach at UT Health San Antonio.
The MRGB AHEC was established in 1993 and is in Laredo, Texas. Since then, it has served Webb, Zapata, La Salle, Duval, Jim Hogg, and Dimmit Counties. In 2022, services expanded to include Willacy and Starr counties.
The Mays Cancer Center, also called the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, has a mission to decrease the burden of cancer in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond. We bring South Texas a level of exceptional research and care that is comparable with the nation’s most respected programs. More patients put their trust in our program because we have a unique understanding of our community’s cancer care needs. We excel in delivering advanced therapies.
Salud America! is a national health communication organization that creates relevant and research-based stories, videos, and tools to inspire people to start and support healthy changes where all families can live, learn, work, and play. The program is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez. Dr. Ramirez is chair and professor of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also leads the office of Community Outreach and Engagement at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
