Although science has not yet found a cure for breast cancer, a simple and inexpensive method has proven to save lives: early detection. Women in many minority ethnic groups are not reaping the benefits of early detection, however, and have a significantly lower five-year survival rate from breast cancer than do other groups of women.
A distinguished panel of community and medical leaders has planned a Multicultural Conference on breast cancer to raise awareness of this and other breast cancer-related issues in the African-American, Anglo, Asian, Latino and Muslim communities. The Multicultural Conference is free and open to all interested women. The conference is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive. The event will be in the Central Campus auditorium.
The San Antonio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and The Council for Excellence in Women’s Health, a community advisory panel of the Health Science Center, have organized the conference. Mrs. Graciela Cigarroa and Karen Diaz, M.D., are the co-chairs.
How to registerSeating is limited, so women and their families are encouraged to register in advance by contacting
Pilar Pinilla Jimenez, program manager with Komen for the Cure, at (210) 222-9009, ext. 101. The organizers hope to see 250 to 350 participants. The event includes continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and lunch.
TopicsSessions will cover “Breast Cancer 101,” diet and fitness, emotional aspects, and ways breast cancer affects various cultures and ethnicities. Panel presentations and Q&A sessions will focus on cultural experiences with breast cancer. At a special time in the program, breast cancer survivors will be recognized.
“The Multicultural Conference will educate the public about the risks of breast cancer and the importance of early detection through mammography, the clinical breast exam and breast self-examination,” Mrs. Cigarroa said.
ExhibitsIn addition, the conference will include exhibits displaying health resources that are available in the San Antonio and Bexar County service area.
Teresa Van Hoy, Ph.D., a historian, women’s studies leader and breast cancer survivor, said the great disparity in positive outcomes for minority women compared to those for Anglo women is a key issue in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Early detection is the key“Minority women die at a much higher rate from breast cancer, even though the incidence of the disease in the Anglo population is much higher,” Dr. Van Hoy said. “So the issue isn’t genetic, but access to care and early detection.”
Forty percent of minority women do not survive to the fifth year after diagnosis, compared to 15 percent of Anglo women, she noted.
For more information contact
Will Sansom at 210-567-2579.
# # #The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $536 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $14.3 billion biosciences and health care industry, the leading sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 22,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and allied health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, allied health, dentistry and many other fields.
The Komen San Antonio Affiliate was founded in 1997. Since inception, and with donor support, the organization has contributed more than $5 million in grants to fund a variety of community-based projects that reflect its mission and provide vital services to the medically underserved of Bexar County. The Komen San Antonio Affiliate serves as a resource for those seeking opportunities for screening and treatment, and endeavors to raise awareness and educate the community about the benefits of early detection in the fight to end breast cancer.
