Today, global nonprofit Breastcancer.org announced the Spanish-language rollout of its website, a dedicated effort to bring the most up-to-date information about breast cancer to the Spanish-speaking community. Actress Judy Reyes (Gun Hill Road, Scrubs) and oncologist Dr. Generosa Grana are speaking to media nationwide during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer on the Latino community and let them know about this comprehensive, new resource that can ensure they make informed decisions about their breast cancer care.
Breastcancer.org is the number one online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support. They have been providing services in English since 2000. Last year alone, Breastcancer.org received more than 10 million visits from 230 countries and territories around the world.
As the Hispanic population continues to increase rapidly, Breastcancer.org has rolled out a Spanish-language version of the website to extend their resources to a vast sector of the global population that is not being reached with this level of disease and support information.
While Hispanic women are statistically less likely than other ethnicities to be diagnosed with breast cancer, their death rate from the disease is higher, a fact that the organization found troubling.
Medical spokesperson Dr. Generosa Grana has been treating breast cancer patients since 1994, and her practice cares for patients from the Philadelphia-area Hispanic community. Dr. Grana notes, “Latinas have poor mortality and treatment outcomes because they experience challenges in getting access to care – often brought on by financial burdens and cultural fears and myths that hold many back from seeking treatment. Another factor is clearly the language barrier, which also can interfere with important discussions with their health care providers and affect their care. Information – especially when presented in a friendly, non-threatening, and credible way – can bridge many of these obstacles.”
Spokesperson Judy Reyes, best known for her role as “Nurse Carla Espinosa” on the hit TV series Scrubs, understands the issue intimately as the daughter of and caregiver for a breast cancer survivor. Reyes had just moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She quickly found herself returning to the Bronx to care for and support her.
Dr. Marisa Weiss, president and founder of Breastcancer.org, has been a strong champion of Breastcancer.org’s Spanish-language site. “We hope that this major resource will help raise awareness of preventive and treatment measures that will empower Latinas to protect their precious lives,” says Dr. Weiss.
