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Study: Diabetes Linked to Kidney Cancer among Hispanics



A study of San Antonio-area kidney cancer patients shows a strong link to diabetes, with the most advanced cancers found in those with the worst control over their blood sugar, the San Antonio Express-News reports. The study, led by Dr. Samy Habib of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and recently published in the Journal of Cancer, reviewed the medical records of 473 local patients who underwent surgery for clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, between 1994 and 2009. Of those, 120, or 25.4%, had a history of diabetes. About 75% of the diabetics were Hispanic and tended to be younger than ...

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Food Security for All: Report of Two Workshops



Check out this new report from the National Academies Press about food security for all people. The report summarizes results from two recent food security workshops hosted by the National Research Council's Science and Technology for Sustainability Program. The first workshop, Measuring Food Insecurity and Assessing the Sustainability of Global Food Systems, explored the availability and quality of commonly used indicators for food security and malnutrition; poverty; and natural resources and agricultural productivity. The second workshop, Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Increasing Global Food Supplies, focused specifically on assuring the availability of adequate food supplies. How can food production be increased to meet the needs of a population expected to reach over 9 ...

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Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Laura Reyes



Editor's Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program. Laura Reyes San Antonio, Texas Laura Reyes is a native South Texan who developed a thirst for knowledge early in life, often visiting the library as a child with her mother, who was going through grad school. As she continued to seek knowledge, her interest in science and the human body grew, and she eventually attended Loyola New Orleans University. Then the Hurricane Katrina disaster brought her back to San Antonio—a fortuitous transfer to St. Mary’s University that eventually got her interested in research techniques. Reyes now is a master’s of public health ...

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Study: Exercise Can Boost Latino Students’ Fitness, Math Scores



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 18 is Dr. Zan Gao. Find all briefs here. Dr. Zan Gao “Impact of Physical Activity on Fitness & Academic Performance” In his Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Zan Gao of Texas Tech University examined the impact of a structured exercise program (interactive video game Dance Dance Revolution [DDR], in which players stomp on a dance mat to mimic steps of an on-screen dancer; aerobic dance; and jump rope) on physical fitness and academic performance in urban Latino children. Key preliminary findings include: children who participate in a structured exercise program at school are ...

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Promotora of the Year: Marynieves Diaz-Mendez



Marynieves Diaz-Mendez has been selected as the 2011 LIVESTRONG Promotora of the Year. Diaz-Mendez, a trained physician in her native Cuba, is a promotora—or trained community health educator—who has been working with Redes En Acción in the California Bay Area to increase Latino cancer survivors’ access to and knowledge of LIVESTRONG national navigation services. Redes En Acción is a national Latino cancer research network led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. LIVESTRONG, founded by cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, connects cancer patients and survivors to the support they need, leverages funding and resources to spur innovation and engages communities and leaders to drive ...

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Deadline Extended to 3/9/12 for Éxito! Training and Internship Program



You now have until March 9, 2012, to apply for the 2012 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program! Éxito! conducts a five-day summer institute and offers $2,000 internships to encourage minority master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities research. The 2012 summer institute is June 7-12, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas. Éxito! participants also are eligible to receive one of six paid internships (see details in application). How exactly can the program benefit you? Ask Mariana Arevalo, a graduate of the 2011 Éxito! program: “Éxito! was a boost of confidence and a tremendous encouragement for me to apply to doctoral programs. Now more than ever, I’m confident ...

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VIDEO: Latina Breast Cancer Factors and Prevention



Latinas, please watch this Spanish-language video about breast cancer factors and prevention featuring Dr. Jorge Gomez, director of the Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development of the National Cancer ...

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VIDEOS: ‘Feeding Minds’ Tackles Hunger, Obesity Across Texas



Check out the new TV series, “Feeding Minds: Texas Takes on Hunger and Obesity,” which premiered on Texas PBS stations Feb. 23, 2012. The series aims to bring awareness to these overlapping issues and to share what government, community organizations and individuals are doing to combat them. For more information, follow this effort on Facebook. Different video segments tackle the following issues: Hunger in the South Plains Statewide Efforts to Help Those in Need San Antonio's Effort to Increase Access to Health Food Dallas Combats Obesity Combining Education with Good Nutrition Growing Healthy in El Paso Houston Deals with Hunger, Obesity Watch the full program English or Spanish or below. Watch Feeding Minds on PBS. See more from Feeding Minds: Texas ...

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Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Edianys Arlyn Velez



Editor's Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program. Edianys Arlyn Velez El Paso, Texas Edianys Arlyn Velez developed a passion for helping others from the constant support of her parents and her childhood experiences with family members diagnosed with cancer. Her passion particularly applies to women’s health issues. That’s why Velez currently is a master’s degree student at the University of Texas School of Public Health regional campus in El Paso, Texas, where she also coordinates a study investigating the genetic and environmental determinants of maternal and neonatal adverse pregnancy outcomes in El Paso. Velez ...

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