Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity | |
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OCTOBER CANCER AWARENESS AND OUTREACH
Fall has arrived, and temperatures are finally dropping. It’s the time of year for local walks in support of cancer research and survivorship. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Simmons is joining the Komen Dallas North Texas More than Pink Walk and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. We also have teams participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night walk to fund research and treatment for blood cancers. We invite you to come along or donate to the cause. Please find more information below.
October is also Liver Cancer Awareness Month. Liver cancer rates are on the rise in Texas, and UT Southwestern is committed to reversing the trend. Read on for a look at the statistics and learn why screening programs are so critical to fighting this deadly disease.
As you’re scrolling through this month’s news, meet our new Associate Director for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity. Explore resources for screening mammograms. And check out a nutritious Costa Rican recipe that celebrates Latin American flavors.
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INTRODUCING OUR NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND EQUITY
In September, Sandi Pruitt, Ph.D., M.P.H. – a UT Southwestern cancer epidemiologist – took the lead of Simmons Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity (COEE).
Dr. Pruitt is an Associate Professor in UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, where she has spent the past 10 years testing programs and policies to promote the best health possible for all community members, regardless of the neighborhood they live in or their social status.
Dr. Pruitt believes community-academic partnerships are critical to conducting research that solves real-life community health issues. Her partnership with Crossroads Community Services and the North Texas Food Bank, for instance, enabled Dr. Pruitt and a colleague at the University of Dallas to show how small changes to food pantry practices could bring about significant improvements in the health of food pantry clients.
“I look forward to growing our office and working with the Community Advisory Board to improve cancer equity in Dallas-Fort Worth,” Dr. Pruitt says. “We have pressing challenges to address, and we can’t be successful without strengthening our connections to the community.”
Learn more about Dr. Pruitt
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A MAMMOGRAM CAN SAVE A LIFE
Mammography is our most powerful breast cancer detection tool. It uses X-rays to create an image of breast tissue that can reveal tumors long before a patient or doctor can feel them. When breast cancer is found at an early stage, the chances for successful treatment are highest.
Getting a regular mammogram to screen for breast cancer is one of the most important things you can do for your health, particularly if you have a family history of breast cancer. But knowing when to get screened can be confusing. And knowing where to find resources can feel overwhelming. We’re here to help.
When should I have my first screening mammogram? How often should I be screened? Simmons Cancer Center recommends that women at average risk for breast cancer start yearly screening mammograms at age 40. A decision about when to stop screenings can be made in conversation with your doctor, based on your individual health status.
Women at higher risk for breast cancer – including those with genetic risk factors – should talk to their doctors about starting annual mammograms at an earlier age and on a more frequent schedule.
Simmons also recommends a clinical breast exam starting at age 20. In a clinical breast exam, a doctor or nurse feels the breasts for lumps or other unusual changes.
Where can I get screened at UT Southwestern? UT Southwestern has several options for screening mammograms – both at our campuses in Dallas-Fort Worth and via our mobile units that take mammograms to work sites and other community locations.
UT Southwestern’s Center for Breast Care at Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center offers screening mammograms to patients over age 40 without a referral from a physician. For an appointment, contact 214-645-2550. The Center for Breast Care also contracts with local businesses and organizations to bring mobile mammography screenings to worksites, places of worship, and community events. Contact 214-645-2518 to schedule.
UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird makes screenings convenient for Southwest Dallas County residents. The center uses the same advanced breast imaging technology available at our main campus. Call 214-645-9729 for more information.
Parkland Memorial Hospital’s Moody Center for Breast Health offers screening and diagnostic services focused on achieving equity in breast care for all communities. Contact 214-266-3333 for appointments.
Parkland’s mobile mammography van travels throughout Dallas County, making weekly visits to Parkland’s community clinics. On some Saturdays, the van visits local health fairs, churches, and community events. Check Parkland’s community calendar for events near you.
Simmons Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute provides state-of-the-art breast health services at its Fort Worth location and via its mobile screening clinic, which travels to businesses and community locations throughout North and Central Texas. Request an appointment at 800-405-7739 or at Breast Cancer Screening | Moncrief Cancer Institute.
Take a peek inside Moncrief’s mobile screening clinic:
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Is financial assistance available? Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance companies cover screening mammograms. Since 2010, the Affordable Care Act has required all new health plans to cover mammograms every two years for women ages 50 and older, and as recommended by a doctor for women ages 40-49. In 2017, the Texas legislature passed a law requiring all Texas insurance companies offering coverage to women ages 35 and older to cover breast cancer screening by all forms of low-dose mammography – including the more advanced 3D mammography.
There are also resources available to women without insurance:
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Parkland Memorial Hospital offers financial assistance to Dallas County residents through its Patient Financial Services program. Call 214-590-4900 for an appointment with a financial counselor.
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Simmons’ Moncrief Cancer Institute provides nearly 10,000 free screenings a year to uninsured and underinsured women in 35 counties throughout North and Central Texas. Call 800-405-7739 to see if you qualify and to schedule an appointment.
- Other breast cancer screening resources can be found at Breast & Cervical Cancer Services | Healthy Texas Women or by calling the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237.
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REVERSING LIVER CANCER TRENDS FOR NORTH TEXANS
According to the American Cancer Society, new case rates of liver cancer have more than tripled since 1980, and death rates have more than doubled. Texas leads the nation in both. Hispanic Texans, including those in North Texas, are more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to develop liver cancer and die from it.
In this interview with D Magazine, Amit Singal, M.D., M.S., Medical Director of the Liver Tumor Program and Clinical Chief of Hepatology at UT Southwestern, discusses reasons for the alarming liver cancer statistics and why some groups are suffering more than others. He introduces UT Southwestern’s new Clinical Validation Center, funded by the National Cancer Institute, which aims to reverse deadly liver cancer trends with an improved screening technique to catch the disease earlier.
Dr. Singal advises those with underlying liver diseases to “engage with their health care provider to identify if they’re at risk for liver cancer. If so, engage in these liver cancer screening programs.” Learn more about liver cancer risk factors and regular screenings at Liver Cancer Awareness | UT Southwestern Medical Center.
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CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN FLAVORS
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Silvia Herszkopf-Oreamuno – a dietitian on our oncology nutrition team – to share a recipe from her Central American homeland:
"As a proud Costa Rican, I chose our popular gallo pinto*. This is my favorite dish to prepare because the best gallo pinto is made from leftover rice and beans. Gallo pinto is eaten in Costa Rica at any time during the day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner – and it is also eaten by everyone, no matter their socioeconomic status. The Salsa Lizano, which you can find in some supermarkets in town, is our big secret. However, you can avoid or limit the amount of sauce if you need to watch your sodium intake.
"The combination of beans (a legume) and rice (cereal) makes this dish very nutritious by increasing the quality of the vegetable protein.
"The original recipe uses white rice, but you can always choose brown rice to increase fiber and other nutrients. You can also use canned beans reduced in sodium or with no salt added to simplify the recipe. I hope you enjoy this plant-based, nutritious dish!"
*Gallo pinto is Spanish for “spotted rooster” – a name given to the dish because of the look of the white rice against the black beans.
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Ready to learn more about cancer-fighting foods?
Silvia Herszkopf-Oreamuno is available to discuss plant-based eating and cancer risk reduction at your next community event, in English or Spanish. Contact her through our Speakers Bureau at OfficeofCOEE@UTSouthwestern.edu or 833-722-6237.
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You're Invited: Community Events | | |
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FREE Mammograms – Moncrief Mobile Screening
During October, Simmons’ Moncrief Cancer Institute will take its mobile screening clinic to the following locations to provide free mammograms for uninsured women who qualify. Call 817-288-9970 to schedule an appointment on one of the following dates.
October 14, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth
4200 South Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76115
October 18, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Emmitt Luxury Apartments
5613 Coventry Park Drive
Haltom City, TX 76117
October 26, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Azle Senior Center
601 Southeast Parkway
Azle, TX 76020
October 27, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Benbrook Public Library
1065 Mercedes Street
Benbrook, TX 76126
October 28, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse
700 E. Abram Street
Arlington, TX 76010
The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk – Saturday, October 15 – Choctaw Stadium Concourse, 1000 Ballpark Way Arlington, TX 76011
Register here.
UTSW Science Café: Advancements in Breast Cancer Reconstruction Surgery – Thursday, October 20, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. CST – Zoom
Register here.
Komen Dallas North Texas More than Pink Walk – Saturday, October 22 – Levy Event Plaza, 501 E. Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, TX 75039
Register here.
Binational Health Fair/Feria Binacional de Salud – Saturday, October 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Avenue, Dallas, TX 75211
Visit for free health services and resources. UTSW’s Hep B Free Project will conduct free hepatitis B screenings.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Event – Saturday, October 22, 5:30 p.m. – Trinity Groves, 3011 Gulden Lane, Dallas, TX 75212
Support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night walk to help fund a cure for blood cancers. Join our walk team or make a donation here.
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Visit the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity to learn more about our mission to reduce the cancer burden in North Texas and promote equity in cancer prevention, care, and outcomes through research, education, and engagement, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse, rural, and other underserved communities.
See how you can join us!
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For newsletter questions, comments, or suggestions, email Renee.Barber@UTSouthwestern.edu. | | | | |
