Breast cancer is the top cause of death for Latinas. But Alma Lopez has been a breast cancer survivor for more than 15 years. She believes participating in a clinical trial at UT Health San Antonio helped her get better treatment and better long-term health in her survivorship journey. “Clinical trials are great for finding new treatments that help people,” Lopez said. “And it helps the scientists. It gives opportunity to better medication for all populations. It builds a better future.”
Lopez Chooses a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial
About 15 years ago, Lopez was diagnosed with breast cancer. Lopez began weighing her treatment options. At first, she had doubts about whether to volunteer for a clinical trial. She thought it might take too much time, or cause ...
Simple logistics—availability, childcare, and time—stop some Latinas and other women of color from volunteering for breast cancer clinical trials, according to a new survey. The survey, led by For The Breast of Us, an online breast cancer survivor community, and Sommer Consulting, found that the anticipated time demands of a clinical trial may appear "too intimidating." Most women of color struggle with multiple demands in their lives. The perceived or real logistics of participating in a clinical trial could make it harder. One respondent said: “You still have to worry about how am I going to run my household, especially as a woman of color, who typically a lot of times are single-family or single-parent households." "The results of this survey demonstrate how ...
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Latinas. Systemic health inequities contribute to lower rates of breast cancer screening among Latinos, which leads to cancer diagnoses at later disease stages. This is why we're sharing Susan G. Komen’s 2021 ongoing webinar series on metastatic breast cancer (MBC)! The next two webinars, "MBC in the Hispanic/Latino Community," are set for 6 p.m. CT Sept. 23, 2021, in English and 6 p.m. CT Sept. 30, 2021, in Spanish. Panelists are: Dr. Filipa Lynce, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Director, Inflammatory Breast Center, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Jose Pablo Leone, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Director, Program for Breast Cancer in Men, Harvard Medical School Panelists will foster a safe, collaborative space to discuss ...
Cancer is a tough, scary, life-threatening journey, especially for women of color. That is why researchers conduct clinical trials, which are studies to find more effective treatments or achieve a better understand breast cancer and survival among minorities. But, to make progress, clinical trials need diverse volunteers – like Elsada Wilson. Wilson joined a clinical trial at Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and found hope for herself, her family, and the future. “I felt like I was helping further studies and knowledge,” she said. "If it helps me then I'll be able to help my family and help other people that need help. I wanted to help others. I said to myself, ‘It might be that small thing that might help another person.’ Right?”
Wilson’s Breast ...
By Andrea Reichl
Breast Cancer Survivor in San Antonio On June 8, 2015 I got the dreaded call that would change my my world as I knew it. I had only been 38 for one month and cancer never even crossed my mind as a possibility. I previously have had a mammogram and ultrasound annually due to a lump that was being monitored since my early 20s. Six months after my last mammogram my nipple became red and itchy. My gynecologist sent me to a breast specialist, who rudely told me it was because I didn’t have babies. It was devastating to hear that because she was unaware that for over 10 years my husband and I tried to have kids, unsuccessfully. She prescribed me a cream that didn’t work. I decided to go back to my gynecologist as things just didn’t feel right, and I ...
By Liz Sanchez
Breast Cancer Survivor in San Antonio My name Liz Sanchez and I am a cancer survivor — twice, since 2010. I was first diagnosed with breast cancer on December 16, 2010, at the age of 39. It was approximately one week before Christmas. So as you can imagine, my holidays were ruined for me. My OB/GYN sent me for my first mammogram and this is how it was discovered. My doctor moved quickly by setting me up with an oncologist and surgeon. I was diagnosed at stage 2. My BRCA test was negative and my family did not have a history of breast cancer. My grandfather’s sister passed of stage 4 breast cancer, but it skipped a generation. I had my tumor removed surgically on Jan. 11, 2011. I then underwent radiation therapy only. I refused to have chemo. Being ...
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Latinas. In fact, while breast cancer death rates have declined recently, the rate of decline for Latinas is lower (1.1% per year) than their white peers (1.8% per year). “Latinas are less likely to be screened for breast cancer, so they are more likely to be diagnosed at later disease stages,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) and the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. “This makes it critical to improve breast cancer screening, prevention, and support for Latinas.”
What Is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. ...
By Maegan Molnar
Breast Cancer Survivor in San Antonio I was only 26 years old when I was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative breast cancer. My world flipped upside down when I came across a lump during my very first breast exam just three weeks before my wedding. I had nine rounds of IV chemo before we realized it wasn’t working. I then had to stop treatment, have a lumpectomy, and then completely restart a different IV chemo regimen. I then had a double mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction followed up 9 rounds of an oral chemo therapy. To say I was exhausted when it was over would be a complete understatement. To say I was naive when I thought it was over would be completely accurate. This May will be 5 years since my diagnosis. I cannot imagine trying to add up the ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, discussed breast cancer in a livestream interview for the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Dec. 7, 2020. Watch the full interview (in Spanish). Ramirez has led breast cancer research among people of different backgrounds for over 20 years. She has studied patient navigation, genetic testing, clinical trials, quality of life, and survivorship issues. "Cancer prevention is a critical way to save people’s lives today," said Ramirez, who also hosts the biannual ASCL conference. "If we applied what we know works through prevention, we could reduce cancer by half."
Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion ...
