Health advocates warn Latinas about failure to seek cancer check-ups

By Taryn Harrington

Breast cancer is a serious diagnosis for any woman, however, what is the leading cause of death among Hispanic women is an increasingly preventable one with a little time and care.
The Latina Breast Cancer Agency wants to lower the statistic. As one of the few available resources for Spanish-speaking women in need of mammograms and breast cancer education, their primary goal is helping “women caring for women,” as stated in its slogan.
Maria Rubeo, the agency’s education director, said a lack of resources and cultural boundaries often hinder women from getting annual check-ups. Many times, she said, women are unaware of services like LBCA, or are frowned upon seeing a doctor by their husbands for “machismo” reasons.
“It’s very necessary to do this exam,” she said. “I tell the women, ‘don’t worry, don’t tell your husband,’ and they agree, ‘let me make the appointment for me’, they say.”
The mortality rate of breast cancer patients is higher in uninsured women. It is often the result of a lack of treatment, which is highly dependent upon the state of the breast cancer diagnosis, according to a new study by The Breast Journal.
Age, education, and language barriers are added factors that influence the low participation of screenings among Hispanic women. Other clinics in San Francisco offer resources, but lack programs that relate to the Latino community.
LBCA, in partner with The California Department of Public Health, offer free services to low-income women regardless of immigration status or insurance.
To help Hispanic women gain resources in the state, the CDPH created the “every woman counts” program. This year they said uninsured Hispanic women are three times more likely to have cancer diagnosed at a later stage, making it less treatable.
Still, the program is showing success. Hispanic women made up 68 percent of the number of women helped by the program.
Misty Alvarado, the program manager at LBCA, said actively working in the community is the best way to help, “It’s really important for us to physically go out,” she said. “Go to churches, distribute fliers, get women enrolled and do a lot of fallow up.”
The program offers games like BINGO to educate women at the agency, and often participate in festivals and events. They will participate in the Carnival with California Pacific on May 25.