In today's edition of the Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal, author Linda Moore highlights the plight of ethnic minorities with breast cancer in America. According to her report, not only are minorities more likely to die from this highly treatable cancer, Latina citizens and residents also have far less access to preventative care:
"...[Hispanics] don't have any access," said Mariel Loaiza, on-air personality and promotions director at WGSF-AM 1030. A greater problem for Hispanic women is their lack of health insurance or money to pay for a checkups and mammograms, Loaiza said. When her radio station announced plans for a health fair next month, it also advertised they were providing 20 free mammograms. "The other day we had heard from 250 women online waiting for the mammograms," she said. Many of those women have a family history of breast cancer and know they are at greater risk, but have never had a mammogram, Loaiza said. "Another fear, many of these people are illegal immigrants," she said, and are afraid that information collected at a doctor's office could be used to deport them. Research has found that even though Hispanic women have lower rates of breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women and black women, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanics, according to the Latina Breast Cancer Agency.
The Latina Breast Cancer Agency has been formed with the purpose of confronting and overcoming these inequities. More information may be found at their website, www.latinabca.org.
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