Cancer is the #1 killer of Latinos in the world

Written By JC

Cancer is the #1 killer of latinos in the world

In Latin culture, the word “cancer” has a heavy feeling around it—eliciting feelings of fear, sadness, and pain.

Cancer is a disease that brings significant pain and affects everyone, but in the Hispanic/Latino community, cancer affects us disproportionately.

Worldwide, the number one cause of death is heart disease (a type of disease that affects the heart or blood vessels), but for Latinos, the disease that affects us the most is cancer.

Cancer kills more latinos than any other disease

Every year in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are more than 1.3 million new cases of cancer affecting Latinos and more than 670,000 deaths.

In countries like Uruguay, for example, every 1 in 4 people get cancer.

And in the United States, cancer affects more than 20% of the Latino population, causing more than 176,600 new cases of cancer and 46,500 cancer deaths annually.

Cancer is the #1 killer of Latinos in the world

Click image to learn more. Image was taken from The Cancer Atlas

However, as Hispanics and Latinos, we are 25-30% less likely to develop cancer than a white person who is not Latino.

So, if we are less likely to develop cancer, why does it affect us so much?

Is there anything we should do?

Or is there something we can do?

Yes, yes there is! 🤓

But first, we have to understand which cancers affect us the most before we know what to do, as each one affects us differently and requires similar but different guidance depending on the cancer type.

Cancer risks we face as hispanics/ latinos

Despite being 25-30% less likely to develop cancer as Latinos, we are still affected by the same cancers in similar proportions.

For instance, the five cancers that affect as Hispanics/Latinos the most are:

  • Breast (for females) = 15% of all cancers

  • Prostate = 14% of all cancers

  • Colon and rectum = 9% of all cancer cases

  • Lung = 7% of all cancer cases

  • Stomach = 5% of all cancer cases

Obviously, not all of them affect us with the same frequency.

For example, a woman does not get prostate cancer (because she doesn't have it) and breast cancer in men is very uncommon.

So, to understand your risk a little more, you have to understand it depending on your sex, because the frequency of each cancer is different in each sex.

Cancer is the #1 killer of Latinos in the world

This image is from the American Cancer Society. Click on the image for more information.

Though these are the most common, Hispanics are at higher risk for infection-related cancers, such as:

  • Stomach

  • Liver

  • Cervix

  • Gall bladder

This is extremely important to understand because almost all of these cancers can be prevented.

With just a little bit of self-advocacy in your health, you can save the lives of you and your family.

Focus on the power of nutrition, exercise, and medicine

It is estimated that 42% of all cancer cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) and 45% of cancer deaths could be prevented.

And the means of prevention has to do with:

1. Adopting healthier lifestyles, such as:

  • Not smoking or drinking alcohol

  • Maintaining a healthy weight and following a healthy eating pattern

  • Exercising weekly and staying active throughout life

  • Getting 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night

2. Advocating for your health.

  • Getting vaccines and screening tests.

  • Getting a good primary care doctor and having good insurance.

Cancer is the #1 killer of Latinos in the world

By simply adopting a healthy lifestyle and staying on top of your health, you can prevent more than 50% of the cancers that affect you and any secondary diseases.

What is cancer? And How Can Latinos Prevent it?

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Cancer can be caused by a number of different things, including: 

  • stress 

  • virus

  • tobacco 

  • alcohol 

  • processed food 

  • genetic mutations 

  • hormonal imbalance 

Normally, what causes cancer is not just one thing but several factors together, and the more time passes that you are exposed to these factors, the more the risk increases.

Where should I Start to prevent it?

1. Get vaccinated.

If you don't have a doctor or insurance, getting vaccinated is always worth it in terms of cancer prevention. 

I know the idea of ​​getting vaccinated can be uncomfortable, but it is true that with just one vaccine you can reduce your risk of cancer.

The cause of the most common cancers that affect us can be prevented with the HPV (human papillomavirus) and HBV (hepatitis B) vaccine. 

Cancer is the #1 killer of Latinos in the world

The HPV and HBV viruses are associated with the following cancers:

  • anal

  • cervix 

  • oropharynx

  • penis 

  • vagina

  • vulva

More than 9 out of 10 cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. 

Almost all cervical cancers can be prevented with the HPV vaccine.

2. Eliminate smoking and drinking alcohol.

Alcohol has caused more than 75,000 cancers in the United States alone, and smoking causes cancer with no cure and more deaths in the world. 

Smoking can cause at least 15 types of cancer, including cancer of:

  • lung

  • intestine

  • mouth

  • nose

  • throat

  • esophagus

  • liver

  • stomach

  • kidney

  • pancreas

  • ovary

  • bladder

  • cervix

3. Educate yourself on sleep, exercise, and nutrition.

Every facet of your health is extremely important. 

Your sleep, nutrition, and exercise can not only eliminate the risk of cancers, but, with the right guidance and implemented correctly, nutrition, exercise, and sleep can help to improve your quality of life and how your body responds to your cancer treatment.

 To learn more about how exercise can help you, press the button below for a detailed consultation on the foods to focus on, the exercises you should do, and how to sleep better to sleep deeper.

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JC

Cancer exercise trainer and exercise physiologist

https://Oncolofit.com
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