This year Dr. Ana Maria Polo celebrates her 18th year of being cancer-free and has teamed up with Stand Up To Cancer to help educate and spread awareness on breast cancer.
Recognized as one of the most iconic personalities within the Hispanic community for her successful show Caso Cerrado, Dr. Ana Maria Polo has been a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness. Throughout the month of October, Dr. Polo will continue educating and spreading the word to Latinos and Latinas about breast cancer prevention. She will share relevant and updated information in Spanish on her social media, including videos and statistics that will educate and serve as a resource to more than 15 million of her followers.
According to statistics, the most common type of cancer diagnosed among Hispanic women in the United States is breast cancer. This segment of the population is also characterized by having one of the lowest rates of participation in early detection examinations and prevention programs. Latina women currently have a 76% survival rate, given that they are diagnosed in an advanced stage of the disease, do not receive timely medical treatment, and in some cases do not have adequate medical services. Due to a lack of English proficiency, Hispanic women also lack opportunities to receive the correct information they need to cope with the disease.
“When life gives you a second chance, the best way to thank it is by helping others to walk that path. As a public figure and as a survivor, I feel a deep responsibility to inform and update my community with correct information on the prevention and cure of breast cancer, something that Stand Up To Cancer works on daily and in which it has focused its mission since its inception.” Polo stated.
Currently, SU2C has contributed to the FDA approval of two new drugs and drug combinations to improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer and to prolong their life. During the last 10 years, the organization has also allocated more than 54 million dollars to the study of the disease with an elite team of experts, who work tirelessly to understand and find a cure for this disease. Part of the team’s mission is also early detection and how to personalize treatments in order to attack breast tumors with the immune system of each patient.
For more information on SU2C and how you can help in the fight for a cure, visit standuptocancer.org.
