Early Action- Cancer Screening
The choices you make about diet, exercise, and other habits can affect your overall health as well as your risk for developing cancer and other serious diseases. It’s also important to follow recommendations for cancer screening tests. Screening tests are used to find cancer in people who have no symptoms. Screening gives you the best chance of finding cancer as early as possible – while it’s small and before it has spread
Understanding Cancer Risk Among Hispanic Populations
Although Hispanic populations typically experience lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population, cancer remains the leading cause of death among Hispanic individuals in the United States.1 The National Cancer Institute reports that Hispanics and Latinos have the highest rates for cancers associated with infection, including:
- Liver cancer: Hispanic and Latino individuals’ countries of origin have a higher prevalence of hepatitis B virus, which can lead to liver cancer.2
- Stomach cancer: Hispanic and Latino individuals experience a higher prevalence of infection with the bacterium H. pylori, which can contribute to the development of stomach cancer.2
- Cervical Cancer: Hispanic and Latino populations experience a higher prevalence of infection with human papillomavirus, which can lead to cervical cancer.2
A report published by Robert W. Haile, et al. titled “A Review of Cancer in U.S. Hispanic Populations,” also notes that Hispanic populations experience the highest incidence of gallbladder cancer in the United States.3 Risk factors for gallbladder cancer include obesity and diabetes, and Hispanic populations have a higher prevalence for both conditions when compared to non-Hispanic white individuals.3
However, a higher incidence of certain cancers among Hispanic populations does not adequately explain why the mortality rate for Hispanic individuals diagnosed with cancer remains significantly higher than for non-Hispanic white individuals. Hispanic individuals diagnosed with liver cancer are twice as likely to die as a result of the disease than non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic women diagnosed with stomach cancer or cervical cancer are 2.4 times or 20 percent more likely to die from the disease compared to non-Hispanic white women, respectively.