Cancer Experts: Coffee Doesn’t Cause Cancer, Drinking it Hot Might



For millions of Latinos having a cup of cafecito (coffee) every morning is an important part of their routine, but drinking it too hot may cause cancer according to cancer experts, CNN reports. In a recent review, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirmed coffee may not cause cancer but they warn drinking it at temperatures above 150-160 Fahrenheit (typical in Latino culture) may cause the disease. "The Working Group noted that the epidemiological evidence for very hot beverages and human cancer has strengthened over time,” the report ...

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Young Latinos Have Higher Chance of Dying from Cancer than Whites, Study Finds



If you’re Latino between the ages of 15-29, then you're 75% more likely than whites to die of cancer, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Cancer Center, LatinPost reports. “This is a population that shouldn't be getting cancer and it's devastating when they do. Knowing that a disparity exists allows us to ask questions that can help ensure everyone receives the best possible care,” said study author Meryl Colton, a medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. What are the roots of this disparity? According to Colton, this disparity could be attributed to three factors: “disadvantages of the patient's socioeconomic level, the possibility that for genetic reasons a cancer might pose a greater danger for certain populations, and the ...

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More Cancer Research Needed Across Hispanic Ancestry Groups



A new study hoped to learn more from the data about the health risks, such as smoking, on cancer diagnoses in the Latino community. More than 16,000 Latinos participated in the study, and 4% reported instances of some type of cancer. Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Latinos, yet researchers still know little about how specific risk factors affect Latinos across ancestry groups. The researchers, part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, did not find a significant relationship between smoking and cancer prevalence among Latinos. However, it is the belief of the researchers that the lack of a connection can be due to the “cross-sectional nature” of the study. The authors believe that more research is needed to determine the risk ...

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Cancer Quickly Becoming the No.1 Cause of Death in the US & Among Latinos



Cancer is quickly becoming the No.1 killer in the United States and the leading cause of death among Latinos, Fox News reports. New health statistics show cancer is quickly overtaking heart disease as the top cause of death in the U.S., despite death rates falling in the last 25 years. According to government figures cancer is the “leading cause of death in certain groups of people, including Hispanics, Asians, and adults ages 40 to 79.” The American Cancer Society predicts there will be 1.7 million new cancer cases this year, and 600,000 deaths. “Government figures for 2014 show cancer was the leading cause of death in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, ...

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High-Sugar Diet Linked to Breast and Lung Cancer



A high-sugar diet doesn’t only increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, but it may also increase your risk of breast and lung cancer, The Houston Chronicle reports. For the study University of Texas M.D. Anderson researchers put mice in different groups and fed one of four diets. After six months the researchers concluded that mice on a starch diet “had measurable tumors, whereas 50 to 58 per cent of the mice on sucrose-enriched diets had developed mammary tumors.” The team of researchers also concluded that the risk of lung metastases was significantly higher in mice on the sucrose or fructose rich diet. "We found that sucrose intake in mice comparable to levels of Western diets led to increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared to a non-sugar starch diet," said ...

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Clinical Trials Begin for Cancer Recurrence Vaccine



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 ...

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Cancer, the Leading Cause of Death Among Latinos



In 2015 cancer was the leading cause of death among Latinos in the United States, Latina Lista reports. Last year, Latinos experienced 125,900 new cases of cancer and more than 30,000 deaths from cancer. According to experts most cancer related deaths among Latinos are caused by lung tumors in men and breast malignancies in women. “Death rates are declining for both heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. overall, and cancer, the second leading cause,” Rebecca Siegel, a researcher at the American Cancer Society, said. “Cancer has already surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in Hispanics because of their young age structure.” Although Latinos have lower incidence of prostate and breast cancer than whites, they are more likely to be diagnosed ...

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Study: Gum Disease Linked to Breast Cancer-Risk



Postmenopausal women with gum disease could be at a higher risk for breast cancer, Reuters reports. Researchers at the University of Buffalo found that middle aged and older women with gum disease who smoked cigarettes or had quit within the past 20 years had a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 73,000 postmenopausal women who did not have breast cancer. “About one quarter said they had periodontal disease, a chronic inflammation and infection of the gum tissue around the base of the teeth. Gum disease has also been tied to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some other cancers.” After following the women for six years researchers found 2,100 women had been ...

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Gloria Diaz: Latino Cancer Survivor



Getting a breast cancer diagnosis could be a shocking experience, especially when your doctor confirms your fears and tells you, you have breast cancer. “ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You have breast cancer. We need to set up an appointment with a surgeon as soon as possible.” I asked the doctor to proceed with whatever arrangements would be necessary. I called my husband at work. I could tell by his voice he was in shock. That evening we informed our four children,” Gloria Diaz says. The day after, Gloria, accompanied by her daughter visited her doctor and was given two options: a mastectomy or lumpectomy. “I was scared and confused. A mastectomy meant I would have my entire right breast removed along with a large number of lymph nodes, and if everything came ...

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