Latinos are less likely than their peers to join potentially life-saving clinical trials. They often fear being treated like a guinea pig, are scared of being deported, and don’t trust doctors. Yuritzy Gonzalez Peña wants to change that. Peña wants to bust the myths about clinical trials among Latinos, and also boost community health by promoting beneficial policies and improved health systems. Peña, a native of Salem, Ore., earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in public health from Oregon State University. Because she understands the importance of evidence-based, practical, and multidisciplinary research, she is involved in many research projects. Her most recent projects have dealt with teen pregnancy in rural communities, chronic risk factors in migrant ...
Did you know fewer than 5% percent of Latinos participate in federal clinical trials? Researchers thus have less chance to develop new cancer treatments for this population, which suffers a heavy burden of certain cancers, obesity, and mental health issues. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, to tweet in English and Spanish about the latest strategies to get more Latino into clinical trials for National Minority Health Month in April 2017 and National Public Health Week April 3-9, 2017: WHAT: #SaludTues Bilingual Tweetchat: “Clinical Trials and Latinos”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, April 4, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: FDA Office of Minority Health (@FDAOMH), FDA En Español ...
Mexican researchers are beginning clinical trials of a treatment that could prevent the recurrence of different types of cancer, Latin Times reports. “The new therapy trains the immune system to recognize and eliminate remaining cancerous cells" after conventional treatment, team leader Dr. Juan Pablo Márquez Manriquez, of the International Cancer Center in Sonora, told EFE. In the early stages of their research Dr. Marquez and his team tested the vaccines on mice that were genetically modified to develop cancer. “The animals that received the vaccine, both individual vaccines and the cocktail, never developed colon, pancreatic or ovarian cancer,” Dr. Márquez explained. During clinical trials the treatment will be tested in Mexico City, Sonora and Ciudad ...
Latinos are underrepresented in genetic studies, but did you know just how underrepresented they are? Whites make up 96% of participants in genome-wide association studies and next-generation genome sequencing, which make it harder for scientists to develop personalized therapies specifically for Latinos and other minority groups. A new report, Genes, Culture, and Medicines: Bridging Gaps in Treatment for Hispanic Americans from the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, offers three main recommendations in response to this lack of diversity in genetic studies: Improve the Science. Fully implement federal research guidelines for inclusion of underrepresented groups in all study and grant applications, including pilot studies, and encourage non-federal granting bodies to do the ...
Latina breast cancer patients given information about clinical trials in multiple ways, including a culturally sensitive video on breast cancer clinical trials, had much greater awareness of trials than patients who got usual-care information, according to new data. After receiving the extra information—an interactive video about clinical trials, a bilingual booklet, and access to a patient navigator who can help answer their questions—the proportion of Latina breast cancer patients taking steps toward participating in a clinical trial increased from 38% to 75%, according to the study. The study was led by researchers from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday) and presented at an ...
Only 5% percent of Latinos participate in federal clinical trials, giving researchers fewer chances to find new cancer treatments for this population. What can a health agency do to get more Latinos into clinical trials? A new guide, Clinical Trials Outreach for Latinos: Program Replication Manual, developed by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio, was created to help health agencies reach into Latino communities and increase their participation in cancer clinical trials. With the guide, a health agency can: Learn about cancer clinical trials;
Learn about donation of biospecimens (human materials such as skin, hair, and bodily fluids);
Learn the need for Latino-focused outreach to increase trial accrual and ...
Latinos don’t know much about clinical trials, surveys show. Clinical trials are research studies in which people help doctors find new prevention, screening, and treatment options. New treatments that look promising, and have already been tested extensively in the laboratory, are then tested with patients who volunteer to participate. It’s especially important for Latinos to participate in research so that doctors can learn more about the types of cancer that affect our community and what treatments are most effective, says Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director and professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. For those who speak Spanish, listen to Dr. Ramirez talk about the importance of ...
A new National Institutes of Health website, NIH Clinical Research Trials and You, is designed to help people learn about clinical trials and how they can participate. The resource, offered in English and Spanish, answers basic questions such as What are clinical trials and why do people participate? and What do I need to know if I am thinking about participating? In addition, the website offers volunteer stories, researcher stories and educational resources. You can also get help finding a clinical ...
Watch Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, talk about why Latinos should consider participating in a cancer clinical trial. The video is in Spanish: Learn more about Latino cancer here. You can also join Dr. Ramirez' Redes En Acción network, a National Cancer Institute initiative to combat cancer among ...