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For the last few years, Hispanic/Latinos living in South Texas have been sharing their cancer stories with the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort study team at UT Health San Antonio.
But up until now those stories were limited to survivors of prostate, colorectal, lung, stomach, liver, endometrial, breast, cervical, and kidney cancers.
Now it’s time for the bladder, melanoma, ovarian, thyroid, and lymphoma cancer survivors to share their journeys, too.
The Avanzando Caminos study is now enrolling participants who have completed their primary cancer treatments for one of the designated cancer types within the last 10 years.
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What is the Avanzando Caminos Study?
The Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship study is a longitudinal observational study that explores the factors that mark the Hispanic/Latino cancer survivorship journey in South Texas.
The study, led by Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio and Mays Cancer Center, is specifically looking at factors such as the community, familial, behavioral, mental, biological, and medical impacts on life after cancer.
Under the management of Dr. Derek Rodriguez, the study team is meeting with 1,500 participants in South Texas over the course of seven study visits spread out over five years in hopes that certain patterns may emerge.
By isolating this data, the study team hopes to address inconsistencies in cancer care related to the non-medical drivers of health and come up with interventions that ultimately go toward bettering the lives of future cancer survivors.
Through the study experience, Dr. Rodriguez hopes it gives cancer survivors an opportunity to process what they’ve been through.
“We want to be able to promote healing because for the first time in a long time, this may be someone’s first opportunity to give their cancer story,” Dr. Rodriguez told Salud America! “We want to be able to empower others to share their story as well. And we want to be able to better understand, detect, treat, and prevent cancer in the long run for other future survivors.”
To volunteer for Avanzando Caminos or ask questions, contact Dr. Ramirez’s team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio at 210-562-6514 or caminos@uthscsa.edu.
Alternatively, visit the Avanzando Caminos website in English or Spanish to fill out a quick eligibility survey and a member of the study team will be in touch!
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What the Team Says About the Study
“The study is important to me because I think of it as my way of giving back to the community. What I feel is most rewarding is meeting with participants who may not feel heard and help them discover the power of their voice by sharing what they went through.”
-Juan Carlos Nevarez Ramos
“My favorite part about interacting with patients is the patients being comfortable with us knowing that we also come from a Hispanic, Mexican background. So being able to see some similarities and some comfort within us.”
-Jacqueline Cardenas
Getting to connect with all of the patients that we have here in San Antonio. I love connecting with people who are also fellow Latinos in my community, but also who relate to something that has affected my family personally. My mom is a cancer survivor, and I love seeing other cancer survivors who are out there living their lives and showing us their strength.”
-Carla Carmona
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What Patients Say About the Study
“They’re there to help,” said Cynthia Lopez, a participant, of the study team. “If I have any questions, I know I can pick up the phone and do it. They’re there. That means a lot.”
“A lot of questions that I learned from them, and they learn from me, how I feel,” said Alfred San Miguel, a colorectal cancer survivor and Caminos participant.
“Even though I can talk to my family about everything that happened, they don’t understand it like the [study team] because they are ready to help us and have the empathy to understand [what we went through],” said Sandra Campos, a Caminos participant.
“If you got cancer, you need help, or you want help, [UT Health San Antonio] is what it’s all about,” participant Solis T. said. “The information that is given to you. You don’t realize it. You may be a profession[al] in your profession, but the [study team] know what they’re talking about.”
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