The FDA Oncology Center of Excellence Project Community will hold its inaugural National Hispanic Family Cancer Awareness Week, from September 20 through 26, 2024. The week will feature a Conversation on Cancer public panel discussion on September 20, and a social media campaign throughout the week, using the hashtag #LatinoCancer The purpose is to increase cancer screening awareness in the diverse Hispanic population and the goal is to strengthen community-based groups knowledge and support surrounding cancer clinical trial participation.
Despite advances in cancer prevention and precision cancer care, cancer is the leading cause of death for the Hispanic population in the US. Cancer accounts for the death of about 23,800 Hispanic men and 22,700 Hispanic women. Hispanic individuals have higher rates of infection-related cancers, including approximately two-fold higher incidence of liver and stomach cancer compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) individuals. Cervical cancer incidence is 32% higher among Hispanic women in the continental US and Hawaii and 78% higher among women in Puerto Rico compared to Non-Hispanic White women. Hispanic children and adolescents have a significantly higher incidence of several cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, and a poorer 5-year overall survival than their NHW counterparts.
