A few months after her mother’s death, Mary Gonzalez asked her doctor, if she should have a mammogram, the doctor said she was too young. Two years after she found a lump under her arm and after insisting to have it checked she found out it was breast cancer. “It was like a bad dream. Things were going way too fast and I was in shock. Too many decisions had to be made in too little time. As I remembered my mother going through chemotherapy, losing her hair, the nausea and vomiting, I was terrified,” Gonzalez said. The fight against breast cancer became a family battle for the Gonzales “My husband and I became very educated on breast cancer and its treatment. We read, asked a lot of questions, and took it one step at a time.” One question that remained unanswered was ...
Although Latinas have lower rates of breast cancer, it is still the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. According to the the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only 64% of Latinas have had a mammogram in the last two years compared to 67% White, non-Hispanic and 66% Black, non-Hispanic. Spread awareness about breast cancer by joining our weekly #SaludTues tweetchat WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: “Breast Cancer: Early Detection Saves Lives”
DATE: Tuesday, October 06, 2015
TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: FDA en Espanol (FDAenEspanol,) FDA Women (@FDAWomen) Gobierno USA (@GobiernoUSA) USA Gov (@USAGov) #SaludTues is a weekly Tweetchat about Latino health at 12p CST/1p ET every Tuesday and hosted ...
According to a new study most women in the U.S. sent by their doctors to be tested for BRCA1 and BRCA 2, two genes “that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer” a leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women, never met with a counselor beforehand, Reuters reports. "There are very clear and consistent guidelines that people should receive genetic counseling before genetic testing for cancer susceptibility," said Dr. Rebecca Sutphen, the study's senior author from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. Part of the problem, according to researchers is that many doctors are not recommending patients to see a genetic counselor and today there are cheaper and more accessible genetic test options. “Genetic counselors typically explain ...
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 ...
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 ...
A new international panel of breast cancer experts has agreed that mammograms are most effective in women in their 50's and 60’s, Fox Health reports. According to statistics by Susan G. Komen, 64% of Latina women have had a mammogram over the last two years, but still breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas. For years, experts have recommended women in their 40’s to have a yearly mammogram, but little evidence exists that these are effective before age 50, although some members of the panel disagreed that this is true for women 45 to 49. “The cancer society soon will update its own guidance”, said its chief medical officer, Dr. Otis Brawley. “The international panel's stance does demonstrate that there is legitimate scientific question ...
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 ...
Latina and black women are less likely than white women to pick their surgeon and hospital for treatment based on reputation, according to a new, Medical Express reports. Instead, they rely more on physician referrals and health plans for those decisions. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, suggests less-active involvement of minority patients with regard to selecting physicians and hospitals for their care. "Most women relied on referrals from their physicians for selecting surgeons, particularly black women and Spanish-speaking Hispanic women. In addition, minority patients were less likely to report reputation as an important component of their decisions about surgeons and hospitals and were more likely to select a hospital because it was part of their health plan," according to ...
You're invited to a Redes En Acción webinar at 11 a.m. CST Tuesday (3/10/15) to explore racial/ethnic differences in treatment decision-making among women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Having DCIS can increase risk of developing more invasive, life-threatening breast cancer. The webinar will describe findings from a study that compares Latinas and non-Latina White women with DCIS and their trajectories from treatment decisions to follow-up, including satisfaction with their decisions and quality of life after diagnosis and treatment. The webinar will feature study investigator Dr. Celia Kaplan (pictured), a Redes investigator and professor in residence in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San ...
