National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week

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Cancer continues as a top cause of death for Latinos.  

In 2021, cancer caused the deaths of 23,800 Latino men and 22,700 Latinas, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).  

Cases of Latino cancer are expected to rise by 142% in the coming years. 

That is why FDA is raising cancer awareness and promoting Latino clinical trial participation by holding its first-ever National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week during Hispanic Heritage Month. 

What is National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week? 

The week of Sept. 20-26, 2024, will serve as the inaugural National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week. 

The new observance, led by the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence Project Community,  focuses on engaging community-based groups to raise awareness about cancer and its disproportionate effect on Latinos.  

In addition to increasing awareness and promoting clinical trial participation, the week is also devoted to “increasing understanding of ways to contribute to national genetic databases for cancer research.”  

There are several ways of observing and participating in National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week.  

Community organizations and health providers are encouraged to share valuable resources and information in English and Spanish available on the FDA’s website on social media using the hashtags #OCEProjectCommunity and #LatinoCancer.  

FDA also invites community stakeholders to set up outreach through activities and messaging: 

• Friday, September 20, 2024, from 11 am to 12 pm ET: Register and virtually attend the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) Conversation on Cancer public discussion (available in English and Spanish). 

• Saturday, September 21, 2024: Learn more information about cancer disparities. 

• Sunday, September 22, 2024: Discuss your family’s cancer history. 

• Monday, September 23, 2024: Learn how environmental risks impact cancer development. 

• Tuesday, September 24, 2024: Learn more about cancer research and clinical trials. 

• Wednesday, September 25, 2024: Learn how to involve your family to be more proactive in cancer treatments and provide support to patients, caregivers, and patient advocates/navigators. 

• Thursday, September 26, 2024: Understand and support cancer quality of life and cancer survivorship. 

Why Do We Need National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week to Spotlight Latino Cancer? 

Systemic racism has led to inequities in our healthcare system. Those inequities persist today, resulting in worse health outcomes for many Latinos.

The social determinants of health, such as access to housing, healthcare, and education, have a strong impact on someone’s health outcomes. 

A cancer diagnosis changes everything, but for Latinos, a cancer diagnosis can be more difficult to manage and even more difficult to treat. 

Many Latinos face a lack of insurance leading to higher treatment costs. Some Latinos also lack access to transportation to get the care they need, and may even live in areas where healthy food is more difficult to obtain, resulting in a poorer quality of life and increases risk factors for conditions that can influence cancer outcomes. 

These factors can cause many Latinos to put off preventative care and treatment. Prolonged cancer intervention and screenings can lead to late-stage diagnoses, which are more likely to result in death, and more expensive treatments.  

In fact, Latinos have higher rates of infection-related cancers with lower survival rates, according to the FDA.  

There is a higher prevalence of liver and stomach cancers in Latinos, compared to their White peers. 

What’s more, Latinas have a 32% higher cervical cancer rate and Latinas in Puerto Rico have a 78% higher rate than White women. 

In addition, there is a higher prevalence of childhood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, in Latinos, who have a poorer 5-year overall survival rate than non-Latinos. 

Why Do We Need National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week to Spotlight Latino Clinical Trial Participation? 

These disparities are also linked to inequities in cancer research and a lack of Latino clinical trial participation. 

Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that test ways to find, prevent, and treat cancer and other diseases. They may also help improve the quality of life for volunteers affected by cancer or reduce the side effects of treatment. 

Without participation, there is no way of ensuring a drug, treatment, or therapy will work for Latinos.  

“Latinos who participate in clinical trials have the potential to help themselves and potentially contribute to the development of new treatments for people in the future,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. 

Latinos currently make up 10% of participants in clinical trials run by the National Cancer Institute and 4% of participants in FDA drug trials. 

Participation in cancer clinical trials is even lower with only 1 in 5 Latinos diagnosed with cancer seeking out a clinical trial, which in some cases can be used as a form of treatment. 

Few Latinos also seek out other methods to contribute to the advancement of cancer treatment and research, according to new study findings conducted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and others: 

• 13% of Latinos provide samples for biorepositories.  

• 7% participate in treatment trials.  

• 7% signed up for cancer registries.  

• 4% participate in genetic studies.  

• 3% participate in quality-of-life studies.  

• 3% enroll in diagnostic studies.  

• 2% take part in economic studies. 

To increase Latino clinical trial participation, we must address inequities such as transportation and the lack of access to the healthcare centers that conduct trials, along with the distrust and mistrust in the healthcare system that prevent them from volunteering.  

Find a Clinical Trial Near You 

The Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio is actively trying to increase Latino clinical trial participation, especially for those who have experienced cancer. 

One cancer research opportunity is the Avanzando Caminos (Leading Pathways) Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Study. 

Led by Ramirez with help from the Mays Cancer Center, the Avanzando Caminos study is looking to enroll 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in the South Texas area to help unpack the social, cultural, behavioral, mental, biological, and medical influences on post-cancer life. 

See if you’re eligible to participate by visiting the Avanzando Caminos website in English or Spanish. Or contact a member of the study team via email at caminos@uthscsa.edu or call 210-562-6514.  

You can find more clinical trial opportunities based in San Antonio by searching the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio’s clinical trial database. 

Nationally, you can visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you.