Everyone deserves health equity – a fair, just opportunity to be their healthiest.
But the reality of U.S. healthcare is that people of color, including Latinos, face higher risk for life-threatening diseases than their white peers due to systemic inequities in education, housing, food, healthcare, and more.
While these inequities threaten health outcomes, efforts are rising to close the gaps.
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, along with The Genentech Foundation, has been on the front lines of the health equity crisis, advocating for equitable treatment and representation for the last several years.
This includes the company’s multimillion-dollar Health Equity Innovation Fund.
Launched in 2019, the Health Equity Innovation Fund has given grantees the funds to address key ...
Cancer screening can help catch cancer early when it is more treatable. But participation in screening is sporadic at best, especially among Latinos. What would happen if more people got screened for cancer? To find out, a team of U.S. and Canadian researchers used computer modeling to estimate the number of deaths that could be prevented, and the harms caused, if more people followed recommended cancer screening guidelines. Let’s explore what they found and what it means for Latino cancer.
The Impact of More Screening: Potential Lives Saved
Cancer screenings can catch early cases of lung, colorectal, cervical, and breast cancers. But only 13% of people eligible are up to date for lung cancer screening; 69% for colorectal cancer screening; 73% for cervical ...
The Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science (IIMS) at UT Health San Antonio and the UTSA College for Health, Community, and Policy (HCaP) are now accepting proposals for one-year Community Engagement Small Project Grants. The grants, which are worth up to $5,000, are given in hopes of promoting, developing, and expanding community and scholarly research partnerships aimed at turning science into clinical reality. Funds awarded can be used for community-engaged research or assessment, education or training, and the distribution of research results, project details, or policy implications. “The goals of community engagement are to build trust, discover new resources and allies, create better communication, and improve overall health outcomes as successful ...
New cancer cases are projected to surpass 2 million in 2024 - a first in for the U.S., according to American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 report.
The landmark projection amounts to 5,500 diagnoses a day.
The American Cancer Society attributes the rise in cases to a growing and aging population along with an increase in diagnoses of six common cancers – breast, prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, kidney, and melanoma.
In addition, the organization is projecting over 611,000 deaths from cancer in 2024, a .19% increase from 2023. That is more than 1,600 deaths each day!
While cancer is prevalent across people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, and backgrounds, it disproportionately continues to affect people of color, such as Latinos.
Cancer in ...
Do you get the recommended 7-10 hours of sleep a night? Insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality contribute to the development and management of many health issues, from diabetes to heart disease, according to the CDC. Researchers at UT Health San Antonio and their partners are studying sleep disturbances among blood cancer patients and comparing effectiveness of two wellness-based mobile apps to help improve sleep. The Reducing Sleep disTurbance in Cancer (REST-C) study, also called the Heme Study, is a clinical trial that is currently recruiting adults diagnosed with blood cancer and experiencing sleep disturbance. A clinical trial is a study that helps researchers learn more about how different treatments and interventions can be used to help slow, manage, and ...
Today is a great time to protect yourself and others cervical cancer. For Latinos, cancer is the leading cause of death. Latinos also are more likely than their peers to develop cancer in the liver, stomach, and cervix. The good news is you can lower your cervical cancer risk! In celebration of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January, let’s dive deeper into how we protect against cervical cancer.
Cervical Cancer Risk Factors and Symptoms
Almost all cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sex, according to the CDC. There are different types of HPV. Some cause changes on your cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. Other risk factors include having HIV (the ...
The COVID-19 virus is still a threat for many. U.S. Latinos continue to suffer a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases. Fortunately, vaccines are available and free for children and adults, and they’re the best way to protect yourself and your family against the worst outcomes of the virus! Dr. Ramon Cancino, a family medicine physician at UT Health San Antonio and leader of the UT Health Physicians Primary Care Center, stressed the importance of getting vaccinated. “If we have enough folks who are vaccinated in our community, it'll protect everybody else, too, because transmission and infection rates would be decreased amongst those patients, which would decrease the risk for everybody else,” Cancino said. Find a vaccine near ...
Juanita Mora recalls the exact moment that inspired her to be a doctor. Her mother had fallen ill with kidney disease. A young Mora served as translator between her Spanish-speaking mother and her English-speaking doctor. “I remember turning to my mom and saying 'Mommy, why does it take so long to see the doctor?' And she turns around and says, 'Because there's not enough doctors who speak Spanish,’” Mora recalled. Mora went on to earn her doctorate in medicine, becoming a highly accomplished physician and making a difference for her patients in their own language. As a leader in the field of allergy and immunology and a fellow with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), she is delivering culturally competent care and practicing infection control ...
With the winter season in full swing, it’s peak time for flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two. But RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. Latino children also face a “significantly higher burden.” “[A recent study] found that 59% of the burden of respiratory infections [including RSV] was distributed among Blacks and Hispanics, despite these population groups being ethnic minorities in the US,” MD Newsline reports. Let’s dive into how RSV can be transmitted, common symptoms, and how you can protect yourself and loved ones from getting infected.
What Are the Symptoms of RSV?
People infected with RSV ...
