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The conference is in partnership with Mays Cancer Center and founded by Dr. Amelie G Ramirez, the director of UT Health San Antonio's Institute for Health Promotion Research.
Ramirez said insurance and the high cost of care are important topics for the invited speakers to discuss.
"Our community particularly here in South Texas has lower insurance coverage and getting treated for cancer is becoming more and more expensive. We are trying to help our communities bridge that gap and help connect them with other community resources," said Ramirez. "That could help them access the care that they need."
Over 300 doctors, researchers, leaders, and survivors from around the U.S. will unite to reveal new discoveries and strategies to tackle cancer, from prevention to basic science, treatment, and policy change. Ramirez notes the correlation between colon cancer and obesity in South Texas patients.
"Right now, colon cancer is becoming a more common cancer in Americans younger than 50," said Ramirez. "The other cancers we're worried about are the cancers associated with obesity. And particularly here in South Texas we have high obesity rates, we have high diabetes rates, and many of these are causing a potential increase in certain types of cancer."
The biennial conference runs Wednesday through Friday at Plaza San Antonio and is the fifth installment of the event. Each day includes discussions of the latest research and findings from several academic and health organizations including UT Health San Antonio, National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, University of Colorado, and Rutgers University.
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