Compared to the general women population in the U.S. the rate of breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings are low among Latinas. In a new study published in the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, researchers attribute the low rates among Latinas to age and fear of cancer diagnosis. The research was conducted by analyzing and understanding the characteristics of women who did not follow up with phone calls and participation in Esperanza y Vida, a program aimed at addressing the low rates of breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings among Hispanic women. "Participant loss to follow-up represents a potentially important source of bias in research studies," says Deborah Erwin, PhD, Principal Investigator of the study and Director of the Office of Cancer ...
Want to know how to make Latino cancer survivors' lives better? You’re invited to a Redes En Acción webinar at 11 a.m. CST Tuesday (7/7/15) to explore the elements that influence quality of life among male and female Latino cancer survivors. The webinar will feature Dr. Kristi Graves, associate professor of oncology at Georgetown University, who is testing an intervention to help Latina breast cancer survivors and their caregivers improve their quality of life. Graves will discuss the intervention, which works with Nueva Vida, Inc., in Washington D.C., and other community organizations. Register here for the webinar. This webinar will be conducted by Redes En Acción, a national Latino cancer research network funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and led by the Institute ...
More than 200 cancer survivors and healthcare providers explored diet, spirituality, and more at the inaugural Women’s Survivorship Summit on June 13, 2015, in San Antonio. The summit, which featured guest speakers and cancer resources, was organized by the San Antonio Cancer Education Collaborative, a coalition that includes the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. “The event was a huge success. We made great strides to increase awareness of the various issues faced by cancer survivors, and solutions to those issues” said Sandra San Miguel, summit co-chair and a researcher of Redes En Acción, a Latino cancer research network supported by the National Cancer Institute and led by the IHPR. The summit featured ...
Cancer survivors and healthcare providers are invited to explore diet, spirituality, and more at the inaugural Women’s Survivorship Summit from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13, 2015, at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, with support from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Collaborative, a coalition that includes the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Register here for the summit, which will feature free food, speakers, and cancer resources. Dr. Virginia G. Kaklamani, leader of the breast cancer program at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the UT Health Science Center, will talk about the clinical and psychological challenges of being a cancer survivor and how to move ahead. Other experts will cover healing foods ...
The price tag of genetic tests for breast and ovarian cancer can reach thousands of dollars. What if genetic testing was cheaper? California-based Color Genomics has launched a $249 genetic test that can be done at home and analyzes a saliva sample for mutations in the breast cancer gene BRCA1 and BRCA2, which identify a woman's risk for cancer, according to U.S. News & World Report. "Color's goal is to democratize access to genetic testing, starting with breast and ovarian cancer risk testing," Elad Gil, one of the company's co-founders, told NPR Health. This could mean greater accessibility for genetic testing among Latinas. Latinas are 20% more likely to die from breast cancer than white non-Hispanic women at the same age and stage. Yet genetic testing isn't as common among ...
You're invited to a webinar to explore stress and quality of life among Latina breast cancer survivors. The webinar, set for 11 a.m. CST on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, will describe the development and testing of Nuevo Amanecer, a cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention developed specifically for Spanish-speaking Latinas with breast cancer to improve their quality of life. The project translated an evidence-based CBSM program by integrating it with formative work and community best practices. The webinar will be conducted by Redes En Acción, a national Latino cancer research network funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. The webinar ...
A new study finds no survival benefit for the increasingly popular double mastectomy procedure after an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, compared to breast-conserving surgery with radiation—but single mastectomies, a popular choice among Latinas, actually showed worse survival rates, NPR reports. In the study of 189,734 women, the number of double mastectomies increased, while single mastectomies decreased. Survival rates were surprising: 83.2% survival rate: Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy).
81.2% survival rate: Double mastectomy.
79.9% survival rate: Single mastectomy. Those who chose double mestectomies tended to be middle- or upper-class, younger than 50 or non-Hispanic white, or some combination of these. Those who chose single mastectomies tended to be minority, ...
Alma Daneshi cried as she sat in her San Diego-area oncologist’s office, traumatized by past-and-present health battles that continued to endanger her life. She had been through a brain aneurism and open-brain surgery. Then breast cancer. Then breast cancer again, followed by cervical cancer. She had lost her job managing a TGI Fridays restaurant while recovering from the aneurism and taking time off for cancer treatment. She got evicted and worried how she would care for herself and her then 12-year-old daughter. Then she learned she contracted viral meningitis during treatment. Daneshi, sitting beside her oncologist, broke down and wept. But then she got some life-changing advice. “My oncologist let me cry for a bit before she said, ‘Instead of crying, put your anger and ...
A group of breast cancer survivors gathered in San Antonio on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, to hear a lecture and cooking demonstration about how certain foods may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence — deliciously. The women are participants in the study Rx for Better Breast Health. As a part of the study, this group will attend several lectures by study co-principal investigator Dr. Michael Wargovich of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, combined with cooking demonstrations by Chef Iverson Brownell, who creates innovative culinary recipes that taste great and promote health. Read or watch a WOAI-TV report about the event. To see if you qualify for the study, call 210-562-6579 “We want to teach survivors the importance of a dietary plan full of foods with ...
