Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Launches Spanish-Language Resource Hub in Its Commitment to Lead the Change in Racial Health Equity

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) announced today that is has launched its first-ever Spanish-language information hub to connect Hispanic patients and caregivers with the latest cancer immunotherapy research and treatment options. Addressing a need for diversity and representation of racial and ethnic minority communities in cancer research and treatment, the CRI site also serves as a platform to connect patients with potentially lifesaving clinical trials to directly impact the health and success of this group.

In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cancer is the leading cause of death among U.S. Hispanics. Overall, this group is more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage and is underrepresented in cancer trials and studies.  With 1 in 3 U.S. Hispanics (both women and men alike) being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime¹ there is an urgent need to focus on racial health inequities that directly affect this group.  

CRI, a nonprofit organization spearheading transformative immunotherapy scientific research to cure all cancers, believes that access to in-language information, research and clinical trials is imperative to the success and wellbeing of the U.S. Hispanic patient and caregiver community.  Cancer immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to control and eliminate cancer. 

“Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for many patients and is the future of cancer care for many more, and we believe it should be accessible to all. Providing information, education and support to patients and their caregivers bilingually is one way the Cancer Research Institute can help this community on their cancer journey,” said Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD, CEO and director of scientific affairs at CRI.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, U.S. Hispanic men and women are twice as likely than non-Hispanic white individuals to die from liver cancer, and Hispanic women are more likely to die of cancers of the cervix and stomach compared to non-Hispanic white women in the U.S. In addition, the National Behavioral Health Network explains that this community is seeing limited access to quality healthcare due to certain social determinants of health, including lack of access to culturally appropriate health services, including health care professionals who speak Spanish. 

This year marks the ninth annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™ organized by CRI, during which CRI is launching a series of U.S. Hispanic-targeted efforts including the Spanish-language website and resource hub where research, patient testimonials and clinical trials information is now available in-language. Visit cancerresearch.org/es to see the robust offering of information now available in Spanish.

This comes in anticipation of the first ever Spanish-language CRI Immunotherapy Patient Summit where U.S. Hispanic cancer patients and caregivers can connect with and learn from immunotherapy experts. The virtual event, which takes place September 16, 2:00‐5:00p.m. EDT, will include esteemed speakers, including Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, surgery, and molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the chair of the Melanoma Committee at SWOG Cancer Research Network. To learn more about the summit visit https://www.cancerresearch.org/conferencia2021.

About the Cancer Research Institute

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), established in 1953, is a top‐rated U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to saving more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all cancers. Guided by a world‐renowned Scientific Advisory Council that includes four Nobel laureates and 27 members of the National Academy of Sciences, CRI has invested $445 million in support of research conducted by immunologists and tumor immunologists at the world’s leading medical centers and universities and has contributed to many of the key scientific advances that demonstrate the potential for immunotherapy to change the face of cancer treatment. To learn more, go to cancerresearch.org/es.

¹ Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2015-2017. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2015.