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Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Chronicle-Express.com The Chronicle-Express

Cancer overtakes heart disease as top cause of death among U.S. Hispanics
But their total death rate for cancer has dropped in past 3 years, report shows
from heart disease. "Death rates of heart disease are declining faster because Cancer is now the leading there are more interventions cause of death among U.S. His- available for heart disease," explained study lead author Repanics, a new report reveals. While death rates for both becca Siegel, at the American cancer and heart disease have Cancer Society. "It's positive declined among the Hispanic that rates of heart disease and population in the United States, cancer-related deaths are decancer has edged out heart dis- creasing, but we can do more to ease as the number one cause of improve access to health care for death, according to the report these folks and decrease rates published online Sept. 17 in CA: further." From 2000 to 2009, cancer inA Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Heart disease remains the top cidence rates among U.S. Hiscause of death among non-His- panics declined by 1.7 percent panic whites and blacks in per year among men and 0.3 percent per year among women. America. An estimated 112,800 new By contrast, cancer incidence cases of cancer will be diagnosed rates declined by 1 percent and 33,200 cancer deaths will among non-Hispanic men and occur among U.S. Hispanics in 0.2 percent among non-Hispanic 2012, the American Cancer Soci- women during the same time ety noted in a news release frame, the investigators found. In addition, cancer death about the report. In 2009, data showed that rates among Hispanics declined 29,935 Hispanic people in the by 2.3 percent per year in men United States died of cancer, and 1.4 percent per year in compared with 29,611 deaths women during that same time period, compared with yearly deBy Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter whites. There are also differences across Hispanic populations, Siegel said. For example, "Cubans are more likely to smoke, and that is important in terms of many types of cancer," she said. "Obesity is a concern among Mexicans, and has been associated with several types of cancer including breast, colon, and endometrial. We need tailored interventions at the community level that are focused on specic Hispanic subpopulations." Don't discount the effect of genetics, said Dr. Kimlin AshingGiwa, director of the Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. In addition, "many Hispanics work in the service or farming industry where they are exposed to environmental agents and chemicals that may increase their risks of certain cancers," noted Ashing-Giwa, who was not involved with the study. Still, "the main issues are access to care and later-stage diagnosis, especially with the cancers we could screen for such as breast and cervical," she said. To shore up these gaps, "we really need to work on community partnerships that increase screening," she added. "Better screening and earlier detection will save more lives." More information: To see the full report, "Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2012-2014," visit the American Cancer Society. SOURCES: Rebecca Siegel, M.P.H., American Cancer Society; Kimlin Ashing-Giwa, Ph.D., director, Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.; Sept. 17, 2012, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, online Last Updated: Sept. 17, 2012Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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clines of 1.5 percent and 1.3 percent among non-Hispanic white men and women, respectively. Hispanics are at greater risk for cancers related to infections such as liver cancer, stomach cancer and cervical cancer, Siegel said, which is a reection of greater exposure to cancercausing infectious agents, lower screening rates and possibly genetic factors. Specically, incidence and death rates for cervical cancer are 50 percent to 70 percent higher among Hispanic women than non-Hispanic whites. For most cancer sites, Hispanics are diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease more often than non-Hispanic whites, the report found. Enter access-to-care issues. "[Hispanics] are disproportionately poor and uninsured," Siegel said. "Fully 31 percent of U.S. Hispanics are uninsured compared to 12 percent of nonHispanic whites." As such, Hispanics are also less likely to undergo screening for cervical cancer, which prevents this type of cancer, but also detects it earlier when it is in its most treatable stages, she noted. Hispanics have lower incidence and death rates than nonHispanic whites for all cancers combined and for breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung and bronchus cancer the four most common cancers the report showed. In particular, lung cancer rates among Hispanics are about one-half those of non-Hispanic whites. This is likely due to the fact that some Hispanics may be less likely to smoke cigarettes than non-Hispanic

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