Project Title: Special Interest Project II: Latinos in a Network for Cancer Control

Abstract:

Hispanics/Latinos are the fastest growing minority population in the U.S., and cancer is their leading cause of premature death. Latinos appear to be particularly at risk for cancers of the cervix, stomach, gallbladder, and liver. The purpose of the Special Interest II (SIP II) project is to establish a Cancer Prevention and Control Network for Texas and surrounding states along the Texas-Mexico Border with an initial focus on eliminating cancer–related health disparities among Hispanics/Latinos through community-based intervention and dissemination research. This network will be established through collaborations with the University of Texas School of Public Health Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (a CDC-funded Prevention Research center), community-based organizations, health departments, practice settings, an NCI Special Populations Network (Redes En Acción, Baylor College of Medicine) and an NCI-funded cancer research center (M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center).

PIs:

  • Maria E. Fernandez, PhD, Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, School of Public Health (UTSPH), Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR)
  • Guillermo Tortolero-Luna, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the UTSPH and CHPPR and of Gynecologic Oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Co-PI:

  • Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, Professor of Medicine and Deputy Director of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine

Funding Institution:

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • School of Public Health, University of Texas, Houston

Funding Period:

2 yrs. – 2002 - 2004

Location/Service Area:

Texas and surrounding states along the Texas-Mexico border region

Collaborators/Co-sponsors:

  • M.D. Anderson (CMHR)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (Special Populations Network, Redes En Acción)
  • National Center for Farmworker Health
  • American Cancer Society
  • Texas Department of Health – Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP)
  • Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition
  • Center for Border Health Research, El Paso
  • Migrant Health Promotion
  • Hispanic Health Coalition
  • Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition
  • National Center for Farm-worker Health (NCFH)
  • The Cancer Information Service (CIS)
  • Texas Cancer Council

Goals:

Establish and maintain a Texas Cancer Control Network that would promote research and training for cancer control.

Results:

None to report.

Potential Impact:

The potential impact of the project is to eventually end the cancer-related health disparities among Hispanics/Latinos through community based intervention and dissemination research, made possible by the establishment of Cancer Prevention and Control Networks.

Publications:

None to report.