In May of this year, UCI partnered with Latinum Network to gain insights into Hispanics’ awareness and understanding of the following seven diseases: Hepatitis C, Heart Failure, Psoriasis, Diabetes, Breast Cancer, Liver Cancer and Chronic Hives. We’ll be sharing key insights and learnings on Hispanics overall awareness of each disease.
As the calendar turns to October, Univision is recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness month to help educate Hispanics about the symptoms and treatment options available to combat this disease, which 1 in 10 Hispanic women will develop within her lifetime. Unlike other diseases we’ve recently explored via the Latinum Study conducted earlier this year, including Heart Failure and Hepatitis C, we noticed a relatively high level of awareness. Looking at the findings, there are some key learnings about Hispanics and Breast Cancer.
The severity of the disease is recognized, and Hispanics generally have a very developed understanding of detection methods and treatment such as:
- The Importance of Mammography: 87% of respondents recognized that women over 40 should get mammograms annually (vs. 83% of NH Whites).
- Hereditary Factors: 79% of respondents are aware that people whose mothers had breast cancer are more likely to develop it than those whose did not (vs. 71% of NH Whites).
- Diagnosis and Early Treatment: As with many cancers, early detection is key. 92% of respondents knew that breast cancer is treatable if it was diagnosed early (vs. 88% of NH Whites).
Despite the Latinum study findings, “Breast cancer is less likely to be diagnosed at the earliest stage in Hispanic women compared to non-Hispanic white women even after accounting for differences in age, socioeconomic status, and method of detection” and is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women, per the American Cancer Society.
Therefore, fostering dialogue among patients both current and in remission is also imperative to further increase learning and understanding. This can be accomplished by establishing online communities or social groups featuring specialists, patients, caregivers, and others who can provide their insight. The path to treatment is not without its challenges, but Univision is committed to working with partners who share our mission to help Hispanics live better, healthier lives.