On September 27, during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, The Latino Cancer Institute (TLCI) hosted a highly successful virtual forum on blood cancers. The event drew nearly 100 viewers for an information-packed 90-minute session. A few highlights:

1. Dr. Adam de Smith revealed that Latino populations face a higher risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), due in part to genetic factors such as variations in the IKZF1 gene, a gene associated with blood cell development. Add to that variants in GATA3 and ARID5B genes — both of which are involved in regulating blood cell production — explained Dr. Merin, and the risk is heightened for Latinos.
2. Dr. Merin went on to highlight obesity as compounding this risk as it disproportionately affects Latinos and negatively impacts treatment outcomes.

• We also heard from Dr. Henry Garcia who highlighted how socioeconomic barriers and cultural factors significantly impact Latino families’ experiences with childhood cancer treatment and clinical trial participation.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society presenters, Charoh Ortiz and Javier Macias, discussed their organization’s efforts in providing bilingual education and services to over 87,000 Spanish-speaking community members last year, emphasizing the importance of culturally competent outreach.

About the Forum: This is the second forum from our 6-part series “Talking About Cancer Won’t Kill Us, the Silence Will!” running from Sept. 20th to Oct. 25th. Visit our Friday Forum Series web page to learn more.

#BloodCancerAwareness #LatinoHealth #FridayForumSeries #HealthEquity

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Highlighting New Leukemia Research Grants

Also in the news . . .  a significant partnership between the RUNX1 Research Program and the American Cancer Society: the LEAP (Leukem ia Exploration and Prevention) grant program. With over $2.8 million in funding, this initiative aims to drive innovative research in blood cancer interception and prevention, especially for those affected by RUNX1-FPD. If your research focuses on preventing blood cancers, you are invited to apply. The deadline is October 29th. Learn more and apply here.

 #BloodCancerAwareness #CancerResearch #LeukemiaPrevention #RUNX1FPD