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When Latin Grammy winner Soraya took the stage at last year's Komen Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure, she told the crowd she was cancer-free.
In May, Soraya, 37, a spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, died from the disease that had taken the Colombian-born singer-songwriter's mother, grandmother and aunt.
As thousands prepare for this year's race on Saturday, breast health advocates worry that Hispanic women aren't getting information they need to save their lives.
However, those in the Hispanic community say awareness isn't the major hurdle.
"They 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.
Issues like the lack of health insurance, poverty and the language barrier also contribute to the disease being diagnosed at later stages.
The local Komen affiliate awards grants to groups that aid in breast-cancer awareness and screenings, but no applications were received last year from groups targeting Hispanic women, said Sandra Mashburn, survivor chair for the board of directors.
"I feel like they're becoming a bigger part of our community and surely there are some groups with needs," Mashburn said. "I just haven't been able to find them."
Meanwhile, the national breast cancer foundation is aware of the problem and is organizing a minority advisory council to develop programs that can be adopted by affiliate groups to reach out to African-American and Hispanic women, Mashburn said.
For more information on breast cancer in Hispanic women, visit the Latina Breast Cancer Agency online at latinabca.org.
- Linda A. Moore: 529-2702
(C) 2006 The Commercial Appeal Memphis, TN. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
