Posters
Presenting Author Academic/Professional Position
Aura Calderon
Academic Level (Author 1)
Resident
Discipline/Specialty (Author 1)
Internal Medicine
Academic Level (Author 2)
Resident
Discipline/Specialty (Author 2)
Internal Medicine
Academic Level (Author 3)
Resident
Discipline/Specialty (Author 3)
Internal Medicine
Academic Level (Author 4)
Resident
Discipline/Specialty (Author 4)
Internal Medicine
Academic Level (Author 5)
Faculty
Discipline/Specialty (Author 5)
Internal Medicine
Discipline Track
Clinical Science
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Introduction: Breast cancer continues to be the most frequently identified malignancy among females in both Texas and the broader United States. Although South Texas presents a marginally diminished incidence rate overall, the area persists in confronting significant disparities in terms of disease burden and health outcomes. These discrepancies are particularly pronounced among Hispanic women residing in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), who encounter heightened probabilities of receiving diagnoses at advanced stages despite a lower general incidence rate. Structural inequities, such as restricted access to healthcare services, socioeconomic deprivation, and inadequate health literacy, interact with obesity-associated biological risk factors, thereby engendering compounded challenges to women’s health within the region.
Discussion: Data derived from the Texas Cancer Registry (2017–2021) and projections for 2024 highlight an alarming increase in breast cancer incidents within Texas, with expectations of exceeding 21,000 new diagnoses and more than 3,500 fatalities in the forthcoming year. Non-Hispanic White and Black women demonstrate the highest rates of incidence; however, Black women also exhibit the most elevated mortality rates—indicating the presence of systemic disparities in timely diagnosis, access to high-quality healthcare, and appropriate follow-up care.
In the southern region of Texas, specifically within the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Hispanic women encounter distinct obstacles. Although statewide their incidence rate is lower, Hispanic women in South Texas actually exhibit a heightened incidence rate (93.9 versus 86.5 per 100,000), thereby indicating regional disparities influenced by social determinants of health. These determinants encompass obstacles to healthcare accessibility, economic adversities, and deficiencies in educational attainment.
Obesity plays a significant role in exacerbating these disparities. Approximately 45% of adults residing in the RGV are classified as obese. Among postmenopausal women, obesity cultivates an environment conducive to tumor promotion through mechanisms such as chronic inflammation, excessive estrogen production, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. These processes not only elevate the likelihood of breast cancer development but may also diminish the efficacy of treatment modalities, particularly hormonal therapies like aromatase inhibitors, which are often less effective in women with an abundance of adipose tissue.
Women in the RGV classified as obese exhibit a greater propensity to receive diagnoses at advanced stages and with biologically aggressive tumors. This situation is further complicated by structural impediments that restrict their capacity to access or comply with evidence-based treatment protocols. As a result, survival outcomes are notably inferior within this demographic, thereby underscoring the urgent necessity for targeted interventions.
Conclusion: The intersection of obesity and breast cancer in South Texas, particularly within the Rio Grande Valley, exemplifies a dual menace arising from inherent biological vulnerabilities and social inequities. Hispanic women afflicted by obesity are more predisposed to present with advanced-stage malignancies and encounter inferior prognoses as a result of systemic impediments to healthcare access. Effectively addressing this public health crisis necessitates an approach that transcends mere medical intervention—it requires the implementation of comprehensive public health strategies that confront both the biological and structural determinants of adverse health outcomes. The provision of culturally sensitive educational initiatives, enhanced access to screening services, and the formulation of policies aimed at mitigating socioeconomic disparities are imperative for the enhancement of breast cancer outcomes in this historically underserved locale.
Presentation Type
Poster
Recommended Citation
Calderon, Aura M. C.; Mogollon, Ivan; Salcedo, Luis; Loayza, Jose; and Nguyen, Diane, "The Intersection of Obesity and Breast Cancer in South Texas: Clinical Implications and Regional Disparities" (2025). Research Colloquium. 20.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/colloquium/2025/posters/20
Included in
The Intersection of Obesity and Breast Cancer in South Texas: Clinical Implications and Regional Disparities
Introduction: Breast cancer continues to be the most frequently identified malignancy among females in both Texas and the broader United States. Although South Texas presents a marginally diminished incidence rate overall, the area persists in confronting significant disparities in terms of disease burden and health outcomes. These discrepancies are particularly pronounced among Hispanic women residing in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), who encounter heightened probabilities of receiving diagnoses at advanced stages despite a lower general incidence rate. Structural inequities, such as restricted access to healthcare services, socioeconomic deprivation, and inadequate health literacy, interact with obesity-associated biological risk factors, thereby engendering compounded challenges to women’s health within the region.
Discussion: Data derived from the Texas Cancer Registry (2017–2021) and projections for 2024 highlight an alarming increase in breast cancer incidents within Texas, with expectations of exceeding 21,000 new diagnoses and more than 3,500 fatalities in the forthcoming year. Non-Hispanic White and Black women demonstrate the highest rates of incidence; however, Black women also exhibit the most elevated mortality rates—indicating the presence of systemic disparities in timely diagnosis, access to high-quality healthcare, and appropriate follow-up care.
In the southern region of Texas, specifically within the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Hispanic women encounter distinct obstacles. Although statewide their incidence rate is lower, Hispanic women in South Texas actually exhibit a heightened incidence rate (93.9 versus 86.5 per 100,000), thereby indicating regional disparities influenced by social determinants of health. These determinants encompass obstacles to healthcare accessibility, economic adversities, and deficiencies in educational attainment.
Obesity plays a significant role in exacerbating these disparities. Approximately 45% of adults residing in the RGV are classified as obese. Among postmenopausal women, obesity cultivates an environment conducive to tumor promotion through mechanisms such as chronic inflammation, excessive estrogen production, insulin resistance, and immune dysfunction. These processes not only elevate the likelihood of breast cancer development but may also diminish the efficacy of treatment modalities, particularly hormonal therapies like aromatase inhibitors, which are often less effective in women with an abundance of adipose tissue.
Women in the RGV classified as obese exhibit a greater propensity to receive diagnoses at advanced stages and with biologically aggressive tumors. This situation is further complicated by structural impediments that restrict their capacity to access or comply with evidence-based treatment protocols. As a result, survival outcomes are notably inferior within this demographic, thereby underscoring the urgent necessity for targeted interventions.
Conclusion: The intersection of obesity and breast cancer in South Texas, particularly within the Rio Grande Valley, exemplifies a dual menace arising from inherent biological vulnerabilities and social inequities. Hispanic women afflicted by obesity are more predisposed to present with advanced-stage malignancies and encounter inferior prognoses as a result of systemic impediments to healthcare access. Effectively addressing this public health crisis necessitates an approach that transcends mere medical intervention—it requires the implementation of comprehensive public health strategies that confront both the biological and structural determinants of adverse health outcomes. The provision of culturally sensitive educational initiatives, enhanced access to screening services, and the formulation of policies aimed at mitigating socioeconomic disparities are imperative for the enhancement of breast cancer outcomes in this historically underserved locale.
