Hispanics and Cancer

By Aída Bardales -- Críticas, 1/15/2007

The beginning of a new year is always filled with resolutions and myriad wishes for a year filled with lots of love, happiness, and good health. You may not be aware of it, but January is Cervical Health Awareness Month; it is also the month for thyroid awareness, glaucoma awareness, blood donors recognition, and birth defects prevention. There is actually an “Awareness Month” for just about everything, especially cancer—breast, colorectal, prostate, lung. According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2006-2008, “the incidence of mortality rates of stomach, uterine cervix, and liver and biliary tract cancers are higher among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites, especially among first-generation immigrants….” Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Hispanics, lagging only behind heart disease. For Spanish speakers in the United States, the facts and stats are clear, but the information is not always readily accessible.

It is common knowledge that the media is an effective way to get Hispanics to take action. The personal stories and tragedies of television personalities we admire do bring awareness to the forefront. A few years ago, former Univision anchor Mayte Prida was diagnosed with breast cancer. She consequently published a memoir, Una etapa difícil. Mi lucha contra el cáncer (“A Difficult Challenge: My Fight Against Cancer”), recounting the hardships she faced in her battle against the disease. A celebrity who recently succumbed to the same disease, Colombian-American singer and Latino Grammy award-winner Soraya, died last May.

Recent public service announcements on the risks of smoking are reaching television viewers in both Spanish and English. Several Spanish-language websites on cancer exist. Pamphlets at doctors’ offices are now in English and Spanish. But Spanish-language books, the most basic source of information, are outdated, poorly translated, or simply not available.

Last year, cancer struck someone very dear to me. In an effort to help his Spanish-speaking parents better understand and cope with the situation, I tried to find relevant books, but there was nothing at all—or at least nothing recently published. There has to be more we—those of us who serve Spanish speakers—can do to make sure up-to-date Spanish-language books on cancer are published more frequently. Publishers need to not only consider the obvious translations of English-language works, but also to figure out the best way to provide the Hispanic perspective on the different kinds of cancer, preventative measures, statistics, resources, and organizations.

A first stop for editors is to establish a relationship with cancer organizations to understand the different needs within the Hispanic community. More organizations are developing strategies to address and better serve these communities. Larry Bennet, president of Public Square Books, chairs CancerCare's newly formed Hispanic Outreach Committee. This committee is exploring ways to disseminate information in Spanish, including working closely with REFORMA and public libraries across the U.S. Another tactic is a celebrity tie-in; best sellers lists have proven over and over that Spanish-language readers are interested in whatever they have to say. Publishers can seek out the Hispanic personalities that identify with the cause and together publish a memoir or an “all you need to know about cancer” book.

In the last year, Críticas has received very few Spanish-language books on this subject. It could be that they are not yet available in the United States, are not included in publishers’ catalogs, or are simply not submitted for review. Whatever the case, if publishing professionals see a lack of new titles on cancer, then the average Spanish speaker will find fewer titles in the market. Among Hispanics, higher cancer rates can be attributed to inadequate screening and/or preventive care. As a community, we need to step up and keep up with our English-speaking publishing peers: new English-language cancer books seem to be published by the truckload.

The good news is, the overall number of cancer deaths in the United States is dropping.

Spanish-language Online Resources:

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization.

CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer. Programs—which are provided by trained oncology social workers and are free of charge—include counseling, education, financial assistance, and practical help.

MedlinePlus brings together information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. It offers easy access to medical journal articles and has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eight agencies that compose the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The Spanish-language page offers extensive information and resources.

Founded in 1985, PADRES Contra El Cáncer (PADRES) claims to be the only Latino organization of its kind in the United States. PADRES is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their families and promoting a comprehensive understanding of childhood cancer and other blood disorders.

Redes En Acción—part of the National Latino Cancer Research Network, a National Cancer Institute-funded initiative to combat cancer among Latinos—is a multi-faceted approach to cancer prevention and control with a nationwide network of community-based organizations, research institutions, and government health agencies. The English-language website includes a link to a Latino Cancer Experts Directory.

In 2003, Univision Communications, the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States, launched its health education initiative Salud es Vida...Enterate!, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging early detection and aggressive management of chronic health conditions affecting U.S. Hispanics. Key issues addressed online by celebrities and health experts include asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.