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Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Latinas Advocating for Equal Health Care
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about this disease and the importance of early detection. Breast cancer, as its name indicates, is a type of cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. After skin cancer, it is the second most common cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in every eight women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.
While breast cancer affects women of all races and ethnicities, it disproportionately affects Latinas since they are a group that often lacks access to healthcare. Overall, breast cancer rates in this population are 28% lower than in non-Hispanic white women — but that doesn’t give the complete picture.
Because of health disparities that prevent access to adequate and affordable health care, Latinas are less likely to be screened for breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women, according to the American Cancer Society. And when they are diagnosed, the cancer tends to be larger, more advanced, and more aggressive. Just 59% of tumors are detected when they are still confined to just the breast, compared with 67% for non-Hispanic white women.
To address this disparity, many Latina women have become advocates for breast cancer awareness. These women are working to educate their communities about the importance of early detection and to provide support for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Here are some examples:
ALAS-WINGS
The Latina Association for Breast Cancer is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic/Latina breast cancer survivors by providing comprehensive education, support, and resources for women facing a breast cancer diagnosis. The goal of ALAS is to enable Hispanic/Latina women to receive the very best care and encouragement possible so they can move beyond cancer and live fulfilled and happy lives. ALAS has the desire, commitment, and knowledge required to accomplish this goal. In addition to offering support groups, mental health programs, and other activities that include yoga and nutritional education, ALAS works with communities to support breast cancer screening and to provide counseling and advocacy for women navigating the challenges of cancer treatment.
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Campeonas Breast Health Outreach
The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Campeonas Breast Health Outreach program trains Latinas to become health advocates within their community. Women who are 40 or older are encouraged to get a mammogram every year, and the program provides information on how to access free or low-cost mammograms. The Prevent Cancer Foundation developed the Campeonas project as a culturally appropriate educational outreach emphasizing the cultural values of familism and personalism for Latinas of screening age.
Laura Fejerman
The co-director of the cancer center’s new Women’s Cancer Care and Research Program at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center created a new program called “Tu Historia Cuenta.” The project examines hereditary breast cancer risks and screening in Hispanic women and Latinas in Northern and Southern California and provides family risk assessment and navigation to services.
Dr. Maria Son
Dr. Maria Son is a Latina surgeon who is educating Montgomery County residents about breast cancer treatment. Son, a Brooklyn, New York native is the daughter of two Guatemalan parents who only speak Spanish. Son stated that there are three reasons Latino women are afraid of doctors related to breast issues: the language gap, a fear of mammograms for their potential results, and lack of health insurance. She is now one of the few Spanish-speaking oncologists at MedStar Health in the Olney and Georgetown locations. MedStar has several resources for Latinas with breast problems who don’t speak English. “We work with organizations like UniteforHer to give them that wellness aspect to access such as yoga and pilates classes, and even cookbooks to help them get that factor of a multidisciplinary approach to their breast cancer care,” said Son.
ELLAS (En La Lucha A Sobrevivir)
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A program offered by The Resurrection Project, which works year-round beyond Breast Cancer Awareness month to educate Latinas on prevention and to support women diagnosed with breast cancer. The women receive childcare, cooking, and cleaning support from other women who do not have breast cancer but still want to help. ELLAS also gives breast cancer survivors a safe space where they can share their experiences in Spanish and support each other through their recovery process. They now offer treatments for those who don’t have medical insurance and have a breast cancer diagnosis; free mammograms and pap smears, prosthetics, bras, makeup, and wigs; free transportation to the hospital; babysitting options if the patient has kids and needs to go to a doctor’s appointment; medical materials and free computer classes.
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