Breast cancer is an understudied and poorly understood disease in Hispanic/Latina populations in the U.S., and breast cancer appears to be presenting at an earlier age in this population, on average 10 years younger when compared to Caucasian women.
The findings were presented by researchers from the Arizona Cancer Center and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Symposium in Torrance, CA.
"We need to understand the magnitude and profile of breast cancer in our Latina population in the U.S.," according to Elena Martinez, Ph.D., of the Arizona Cancer Center. "If we do not make the effort to understand breast cancer as this population ages and adopts lifestyles common to the U.S., we could be looking at a major public health problem and higher burden of disease."
To support this effort, the Avon Foundation announced a $1 million grant to enable researchers in the U.S. and Mexico to undertake an international research initiative to assess the specific types of breast cancer occurring in Latinas in both countries. The money will fund studies conducted in coordination among the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the Universities of Sonora and Guadalajara in Mexico.
"In keeping with our mission to support the medically underserved, the Avon Foundation is proud to support four major institutions across two countries to help find the solution to the issue of breast cancer in Latina women," said Avon Foundation Executive Director Carol Kurzig.
Preliminary data also suggests a higher rate of breast cancer may exist for those Latinas born in the U.S. than in those born in Mexico. However, researchers are quick to point out the only way to verify these numbers is to conduct a large-scale research initiative in both the U.S. and in Mexico.