Hispanic Heritage Month: Understanding Cancer Risk and the Path to Earlier Detection

Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 through October 15, offers an opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures, languages, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. It’s also a time to discuss health equity with care and respect.

Hispanic and Latino communities are diverse. “Hispanic/Latino” describes an ethnic identity, not a race. People of many races and national origins identify with these terms. However, health data often group many communities together. As a result, important differences can remain hidden.

Cancer risk and outcomes may vary based on country of origin, generation, geography, income, insurance status, language access, and connection to care. These differences don’t reflect individual choices alone. They also reflect the systems and circumstances that shape whether someone can receive preventive care, complete a screening, or follow up after an abnormal result.

Cancer Risk in Hispanic and Latino Communities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accessed in 2026, identifies cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic and Latino people in the United States.

Several barriers can make prevention and early detection more difficult, including:

• Lack of health insurance or underinsurance
• Limited access to paid sick leave
• Transportation challenges
• Child care and caregiving responsibilities
• Language-access and health-literacy barriers
• Fragmented care across multiple clinics or health systems
• Fear or mistrust rooted in real experiences with discrimination and unequal treatment
• Immigration-related concerns that may affect whether someone seeks care

The CDC reported that Hispanic people were more than twice as likely to be uninsured as non-Hispanic White people, about 20% compared with 8% in 2019. The agency also notes that language challenges, limited paid sick leave, and health-literacy barriers can reduce the use of preventive services.

These conditions can delay care. They can also make it harder to understand screening recommendations, schedule appointments, receive test results, or begin treatment quickly.

Breast Cancer: Why Earlier Detection Matters

Breast cancer deserves particular attention during Hispanic Heritage Month. According to the CDC’s Breast Cancer Statistics page, accessed in 2026, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women.

At the same time, Hispanic women have a lower breast cancer incidence rate than some other groups. The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanic/Latino People 2024–2026 reports that breast cancer incidence among Hispanic women rose about 1.6% per year from 2012 through 2021. That increase was faster than the 1.1% annual increase reported among White women.

The same report found that breast cancer incidence among Hispanic women was about 30% lower than among White women. Yet lower incidence does not mean lower urgency. Early detection and timely treatment remain essential because diagnosis and outcomes are influenced by access to care.

The ACS report found:

• About 60% of Hispanic women reported receiving a mammogram, compared with 65% of White women.
• About 60% of Hispanic women were diagnosed at a localized stage, compared with 68% of White women.
• Breast cancer death rates among Hispanic women declined about 1% per year from 2013 through 2022.

The ACS Cancer Facts & Figures 2025 also reported breast cancer incidence among Hispanic and Latino women at 104.1 per 100,000 for 2017–2021. The rate was 131.8 per 100,000 among White women and 137.9 per 100,000 among Black women.

For breast cancer mortality from 2018 through 2022, the rates were:

• 13.7 deaths per 100,000 Hispanic and Latino women
• 19.3 deaths per 100,000 White women
• 26.8 deaths per 100,000 Black women

These numbers show why we must look beyond incidence alone. A community can have a lower overall incidence rate while still facing barriers that affect screening, stage at diagnosis, treatment, and survival.

Understanding Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Carefully

Some CDC data indicate a higher likelihood of triple-negative breast cancer among Hispanic and Latina women. Triple-negative breast cancer doesn’t have receptors for estrogen, progesterone, or HER2, which means some commonly used targeted treatments aren’t effective against it.

This information should be shared carefully. Risk varies among Hispanic and Latina subgroups, and a person’s diagnosis can’t be predicted by ethnicity alone. Still, the possibility of more aggressive disease in some populations reinforces the importance of noticing breast changes, completing recommended screening, and following up promptly after an abnormal result.

A new lump, skin change, nipple discharge, persistent pain, or another unusual change deserves a conversation with a qualified clinician. Many breast changes aren’t cancer, but only an evaluation can provide clarity.

Moving From Barriers to Action

Earlier detection requires more than telling people to “get screened.” We also need to make screening and follow-up realistic, understandable, affordable, and respectful.

Here are steps that may help:

Talk about personal and family history

Ask a trusted clinician how your personal and family history affects your risk. Share information about breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal, and other cancers among biological relatives when possible.

Family history can be difficult to document, especially when relatives live in different countries or when medical records aren’t available. Even an incomplete history is worth discussing.

Ask when screening should begin

Breast cancer screening guidelines differ by organization, age, personal risk, and family history. Ask a clinician:

• When should I begin mammography?
• How often should I be screened?
• Do I need additional imaging?
• What should I do if I notice a breast change?
• Does my family history change my screening plan?

People with a strong family history or other risk factors may need a different approach from people at average risk.

Ask about genetic counseling and testing

Genetic counseling may be appropriate when a personal or family history suggests a higher risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A genetic counselor can explain what testing may, and may not, tell you.

Research by Gómez-Trillos and colleagues, published in Psycho-Oncology in 2025, found that Spanish-language, culturally targeted narrative education combined with patient navigation was associated with increased uptake of genetic counseling and testing among Latina women at increased risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

This was a specific research intervention, not a guarantee for every community or individual. It does, however, suggest that language-concordant education and practical navigation may help people make informed decisions about genetic services.

Request language assistance

You can ask for a qualified medical interpreter or written information in your preferred language. Family members may offer valuable support, but trained interpreters can help ensure that medical information is communicated accurately and confidentially.

If something is unclear, it’s appropriate to ask the care team to explain it again in plain language.

Use patient navigation when available

Patient navigators and community health workers, including promotores de salud, may help with:

• Finding screening locations
• Scheduling appointments
• Understanding referrals
• Arranging transportation
• Identifying financial assistance
• Preparing questions for a medical visit
• Following up after an abnormal test

Navigation can be especially helpful when care is spread across several providers or when a person is balancing work, caregiving, and medical needs.

Seek trusted community care

Community health centers, faith-based organizations, cultural organizations, and local public-health programs may provide trusted education or connections to screening services. The CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program may also help eligible low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women access screening.

Perhaps bring a support person to an appointment. A trusted relative or friend can help take notes, remember questions, and provide emotional support.

Family and Community Strength Matter

Values such as familismo, or the importance of family relationships, can support cancer prevention and early detection when people choose to draw on them. A family conversation may encourage someone to share health history, schedule a mammogram, or seek help after noticing a change.

At the same time, no one should feel blamed if care has been delayed. Barriers are real. We can honor community strength while also working to improve insurance access, language services, paid leave, transportation, culturally responsive education, and continuity of care.

A Simple Takeaway for Hispanic Heritage Month

This month, consider taking one practical step:

• Ask about your breast cancer screening schedule.
• Write down your family cancer history.
• Request an interpreter or translated materials.
• Ask whether genetic counseling may be appropriate.
• Look for a patient navigator or promotora de salud.
• Share reliable screening information with someone you love.

Earlier detection is not only an individual responsibility. It is a shared commitment to accessible, respectful, and timely care. By combining trusted relationships, culturally responsive education, language access, and effective navigation, we can help more people recognize risk and receive care sooner.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It doesn’t replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health professional. Screening and genetic-testing recommendations vary by individual risk and clinical guidelines. Please speak with a trusted clinician about your health needs.

References

1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanic/Latino People 2024–2026. 2024. PDF
2. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. 2025. Cancer Facts & Statistics
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cancer and Hispanic or Latino People.” Accessed 2026. CDC resource
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Breast Cancer Statistics.” Accessed 2026. CDC resource
5. Gómez-Trillos, S., et al. “How Did That Make You Feel? Latinas’ Use of Genetic Counseling and Testing for Hereditary Cancer Risk After Watching a Culturally Targeted Video and Receiving Patient Navigation.” Psycho-Oncology. 2025. Publication information