American Cancer Society Reached Out To Texas Hispanics.

Taking care of yourself may be the most important thing that you can do for your family. This message, along with prevention and early detection guidelines for cancer, are the central points of “Mi Vida”, a new American Cancer Society bi-lingual awareness campaign that is reaching out to Texas Hispanics.

“The “Mi Vida” campaign consists of both Spanish and English language radio and television PSA’s and print ads for newspapers and magazines,” remarked Adolfo Aguilar, Jr, President and CEO of Creative Civilization-An Aguilar Agency. “We got involved in this campaign to help the American Cancer Society communicate that the early detection of cancer is critical and it can save thousands of lives.”

Research indicates that while the local Hispanic population’s cancer incidence rate is average, their mortality rate is higher. This appears to be related to the fact that the Hispanic population may not have adopted a lifestyle that includes early detection examinations such as mammograms and colon exams. Breast and colorectal cancer are two of the leading cancers diagnosed in Texas Hispanics.

“We know how to prevent some cancers, and how to detect others at an early stage when the survival rates are as high as 90%,” stated Sandi Drummond, American Cancer Society Board President. “The American Cancer Society can help in many ways, including providing information and resources in Spanish, as well as English.”

Sylvia Fernandez, Ph.D. and Tony Pena, local cancer survivors who have been helped by the American Cancer Society are featured in the Mi Vida ads, and provide testimonials that early detection does make a difference. The ads state that with early detection, the survival rates for breast and colon cancer exceed 90%. The cancer survivors featured in the ads go on to state that “…if I care about my family so much, shouldn’t I give them what they want—my life!”

The Mi Vida public service campaign ads are being distributed to all Texas media, with many of the state’s media outlets providing additional support through news and public affairs programs to extend the reach of the educational messages of the campaign. For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit http://www.cancer.org.