ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF CANCER IN LATINOS

Advancing the Science of Cancer in LatinosProject Summary/AbstractThe proposed conference, ?Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos,? would occur February21-23, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. This proposed conference?hosted by the Cancer Therapyand Research Center, an NCI-designated cancer center, and the Institute for Health PromotionResearch at UT Health San Antonio?represents the first-ever international conference focusedspecifically on the science of cancer health disparities among Latino communities.Although there has been substantial progress in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis andtreatment over the past several decades, progress has not kept pace among certain populationregarding health disparities, such as differences in access to care, less frequent use of provenscreening tests, higher rates of advanced cancer diagnoses and higher mortality rates. Latinosin particular are among the groups with the highest rate of new cancer cases in the US.As the issue of disparities in Latinos has gained more attention in cancer research and publichealth communities, it has become apparent that collaboration among trans-professionals isneeded.This conference will bring together a multidisciplinary group of professionals to address cancerhealth disparities in Latinos on numerous fronts, from basic research on biological differencesbehind disparities to community-level interventions that aim to overcome barriers to cancer careand address the unique needs of Latino populations. This special conference will celebrate theadvances researchers have made to date, and explore new frontiers and gaps in this emergingtransdisciplinary field, bringing research on health disparities from bench to bedside tocommunity. This conference will support the following aims: ? Promote collaboration among trans-professionals in addressing cancer health disparities in Latinos; ? Discuss latest findings in the field, identify critical gaps in current knowledge, and stimulate development of new research in cancer health disparities among Latinos; and ? Identify and publish the top 10 priorities of greatest significance to Latinos based on discussions from the conference, as well as recommendations for a research agenda.