2012 Health Disparities Conference takes aim at breast cancer

June 25, 2012

The Seventh Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities — Battling Breast Cancer Disparities: Front line Strategies – is scheduled for July 12 and 13 on the campus of the UNT Health Science Center and will focus on the most common cancer among women in the U.S. The conference is designed to build awareness and knowledge related to breast cancer disparities among students, practitioners, community workers and public health professionals.

Despite concerted medical and public health efforts, disparities in breast cancer still prevail, especially for black and Hispanic women. Among minorities, breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease, although their incidence of breast cancer is relatively low. Presenters will address ongoing research programs and efforts (including community engagement programs) regarding the underlying causes of the disparities and innovative strategies to eliminate them.

Keynote speaker Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, is an internationally recognized cancer and chronic disease health disparities researcher and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she also is founding director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research. Over the past 30 years, Ramirez has directed many research programs focused on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer health disparities affecting Latinos, including cancer risk factors, clinical trial recruitment, tobacco prevention and obesity prevention.

Two preconference workshops on Tobacco Smoking, HIV/AIDS and Caner in Health Disparity Populations, and Recognizing and Responding to Health Disparities are scheduled for July 11 and 12.