The Prevent Cancer Foundation Blog » Cancer Disparities

Cancer Gaps Remain for African Americans

Ashley — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:29:32 +0000

The latest figures show many improvements have been made in cancer treatments and care for African Americans within the last decade. Since 1990 nearly 200,000 cancer deaths in black Americans have been avoided. But cancer death rates for both African American men and women are still higher than whites. Black women are 16 percent more likely to die from cancer than their white female counterparts. Latest research also shows that between 2005 and 2009, about 288 black men died from cancer out of every 100,000, compared to 217 white men. Experts say the new numbers show that more can and should be done to ensure equal access to cancer prevention, early detection and state-of-the-art treatments for all Americans.

Read the full NBCNews article

Latina Seniors Salsa Dance Their Way to a Healthy Lifestyle

Ashley — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:06:47 +0000

BAILAMOS, is a Salsa dancing class that helps Latina women boost their physical activity in a fun and interactive way. Because dancing is widely accepted and enjoyed among the Latino community, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are looking at how a salsa dance class specifically designed for senior Latinas can help improve routine activity, cognitive function and overall mobility. Latinas ages 65-74 are much less likely than other seniors to participate in physical leisure-time activities, have more difficulty walking than non-Latino whites and develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease an average of seven years earlier. The project aims to reduce these health disparities by working with Latina communities and dance instructors to make physical activity more enjoyable, engaging and culturally-relevant for older adult Latinas.

Read the full UPI article

Anticipated 2013 Cancer Figures

Ashley — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:00:09 +0000

The latest cancer figures compiled in the annual statistics report of the American Cancer Society show that more than 1.66 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2013, while more than 580,000 Americans are expected to die from the disease. Since 1991, the overall death rate for cancer in the U.S. has declined, primarily because of reductions in smoking and improved cancer screening. According to the report, about half of all new cancers found in men will involve the prostate, lungs, colon and rectum. Among women, the three most common types of cancer that will be diagnosed are breast, lung and colorectal. The report also highlights the major disparities in cancer rates among racial, education and income groups and calls for strategies to eliminate these differences.

Read the Full Chicago Tribune Article