Minorities at Higher Risk for Developing Cancer

 

Nora Seghesso (second from left), Virginia Gonzales and Ofelia Pavon watch and listen as Rotary House International chef Alfredo Pastore shows them how to prepare healthy meals. They are recent graduates of a nutrition research study called "Companeras Sanas," or "Healthy Friends," which is led by Dr. Lovell A. Jones (left).

 

         

Cancer doesn't discriminate. It can affect anyone at any time. However, some minority groups have a greater chance of developing and dying from the disease.

 

In fact, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics as a whole are more likely to be afflicted with cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, stomach, colon and rectum.

 

Why?

 

According to Dr. Lovell A. Jones, professor of gynecologic oncology and director of experimental gynecology, "Research has shown that cultural and lifestyle differences, access to health care and genetics may contribute to their increased risk."

 

For instance, behaviors such as smoking are responsible for the high rate of lung and oral cancers in the African-American community, where 56 percent of this adult population smokes.

 

The lack of good cancer prevention and screening information in minority and medically underserved areas is another contributing factor.

 

"The high number of breast cancer deaths in Asian and African-American women and the rate of cervical cancer mortality in Hispanics can be attributed to an absence of targeted materials espousing the benefits of mammography, clinical breast exams and a yearly Pap test for the early detection of these cancers," Dr. Jones says.

 

Access to these tests and health care in general may be the single-greatest problem facing certain ethnic groups, he adds. This is especially true for Hispanics, who are more likely than any other group not to have medical insurance.

 

Researchers also are beginning to discover that genetics may play a bigger role in cancer susceptibility among minorities than originally thought.

 

"Humans are 98.5 percent genetically similar," Dr. Jones says. "For years, scientists always believed that the biology of cancer was the same, whether the effects of the disease were occurring in the body of a white, African-American or Hispanic person."

 

Current research, however, "is dispelling that assumption," he says. "Scientists now have reason to think that cancer cells may respond differently in people of different races."

 

At present, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine has launched a committee to provide guidance to Congress on this type of research.

 

One research idea is to examine differences in the diets of African-American and white men, and how diet may influence the development of prostate cancer. According to a recent report, scientists believe that high fat foods are metabolized differently in African-American men than their white counterparts. This finding may explain why they have a 66 percent higher incidence of prostate cancer.

 

Participation in research -- especially cancer prevention and screening studies -- by minorities is imperative "if we are to respond adequately to these issues and reduce the disproportionate burden of cancer in these populations," Dr. Jones says.

 

At M. D. Anderson, a newly established Steering Committee on Cancer in Minorities will facilitate the development of cancer research and other initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to health care, improving follow-up care and encouraging enrollment in clinical and prevention trials.

 

The Minority Community Outreach Project is the group's first initiative. The effort addresses concerns associated with recruitment of minorities in research studies. Dr. Jones, outreach program chair, says "Fear of being treated unethically and distrust of the medical and scientific community often prevent individuals from participating in research programs."

 

Research dietitian Alisa Nwachokar instructs young Boy Scouts at Pleasantville Elementary School on the importance of good nutrition and its role in preventing cancer.

 

 

The committee plans to tackle these issues by establishing strong relationships between M. D. Anderson and Houston's minority communities.

 

Forging a trusting partnership is critical, as Nora Seghesso learned. A participant in a nutrition study examining diet and breast cancer risk among Hispanic women, she was one of 20 women who took part in the first class of Companeras Sanas or "Healthy Friends." This program is sponsored by the Kellogg's Company.

 

When she heard of the study, she was both excited at the possibility of learning "how to change my eating habits to prevent cancer" and unsure of the "scientists' motives."

 

"It seemed too good to be true. I thought they were hiding something or they wanted something from me in return," she recalls.

 

Once Seghesso realized the researchers' intent was to educate her and others about healthy eating and cancer prevention, she enrolled without hesitation.

 

"I believe our success in recruiting women to this study was based on our ability to gain the trust and confidence of the women who participated," Dr. Jones says.

 

Thanks to the program, Seghesso not only feels and looks better, but also "I have learned to trust doctors and researchers. I wouldn't hesitate to participate in another study."

 

Seghesso says she now understands the benefits of research and its impact on her community. She plans to incorporate what she has learned into her daily life and pass along information to her family and friends.

 

"It feels good to know that I have helped scientists discover ways to reduce the next generation's risk of developing cancer," she says.

 

Seghesso's words express the value of research involving minorities, Dr. Jones says. "It's vitally important that we conduct these studies so new treatments and better screening guidelines can be developed to meet the specific needs of all populations."

 

 

For more information on clinical or prevention studies, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.

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