Tossas, Katherine Y.

Abstract Rural health disparities in the United States remain poorly understood, in part due to inconsistent definitions of “rurality” and the failure to integrate both geographic and socially constructed dimensions of place. This commentary draws from insights shared during the panel “Addressing Diversity in Cancer Prevention, Control, and Survivorship Within Rural Communities” at the 2024 Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare (TCRH) conference. Panelists emphasized the limitations of current rural-urban classification systems, which often overlook the intersectional identities, cultural heterogeneity, and lived experiences of rural populations. They advocated for integrating community-based participatory research (CBPR) and identity-based approaches to define rurality more holistically. Such methods prioritize self-identification, social determinants of health (SDOH), and localized knowledge, allowing for a more accurate assessment of cancer disparities and the development of equitable interventions. The commentary outlines how geophysical and census-based metrics, although convenient, can misrepresent rural communities and inadvertently perpetuate disparities in cancer care access, outcomes, and policy. The authors argue for an identity- and community-centered conceptualization of rurality that is dynamic, inclusive, and responsive to the complexity of rural life.

e13808 Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death for Latinos. They experience higher rates than their white peers of preventable, infectious-agent-causing-cancers, such as stomach & liver cancer. Latina women have experienced a 1% rise in cancer cases since 2011 & Latino children & adolescents experience higher rates of leukemia than any other racial/ethnic group. Latinos face disparities in access to healthcare, cancer screening & treatment, medical representation & experience lower rates of survival due to late-stage cancer diagnosis. Methods: To combat these inequities & identify equitable interventions for Latino health, the Institute of Health Promotion Research & the Mays Cancer Center established the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) Conference. The fourth ASCL Conference convened in San Antonio, TX from February 21-23, 2024. The conference objectives were 1) Examine the intersection of health equity & biological underpinnings in cancer control, prevention, and treatment 2) Foster collaborative initiatives among attendees aimed at addressing cancer-related health disparities within the Latino community. The conference hosted 286 participants (speakers, researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates & students). It comprised of 23 sessions (3 keynotes, 6 plenaries, 6 breakouts, 3 general sessions, 1 special session, 1 lunch panel session) featuring insights from 51 speakers, a poster session highlighting 80 research abstracts & a rapid-fire session tailored for early-career investigators. Sessions focused on multiple topics relevant to Latino cancer research, clinical trials, survivorship, patient advocacy, climate change impacts on cancer, precision medicine, health policy & social determinants of health. Results: A post-conference survey from a cohort of 48 respondents underscored high levels of satisfaction, with 90% expressing contentment regarding the conference experience. Nearly all respondents (98%) rated the relevance of conference content to Latino cancer science as excellent, with 93% regarding the conference as an exceptional platform for information exchange. Impressions regarding session quality were positive, with 90% of respondents indicating a high level of satisfaction, & all survey respondents acknowledging the objectivity, balance & absence of commercial bias in the session content. Conclusions: Results showed that the resounding positivity in attendee feedback reflects the conference's success in fostering meaningful engagement among attendees. The ASCL conference facilitated an understanding of cultural nuances and barriers specific to the Latino community, stimulating collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing Latino health outcomes. Overall, this analysis affirms the conference's success in achieving its stipulated objectives and underscores the need of having consistently coordinated research endeavors to reduce Latino health disparities.

Abstract Cancer is the leading cause of mortality within the Latino population. Projections suggest a 142% increase in cancer incidence among Latinos over the next two decades. This trend is concerning given that Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States, are expected to constitute at least 28% of the nation's populace by 2060. To address the need for enhanced comprehension of these trends and to identify equitable interventions targeting Latino health disparities, the Institute of Health Promotion Research and the Mays Cancer Center jointly established the biennial Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) Conference. The fourth ASCL Conference convened in San Antonio, TX from February 21-23, 2024. The conference objectives were twofold: 1) Examine the intersection of health equity and biological underpinnings in cancer control, prevention, and treatment; and 2) Foster collaborative initiatives among attendees aimed at addressing cancer-related health disparities within the Latino community. The 2024 conference attracted 286 participants compared to 251 attendees in 2022, encompassing guest speakers, researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, researchers, and students. It comprised 23 sessions (3 keynotes, 6 plenaries, 6 breakouts, 3 general sessions, 1 special session, 1 lunch panel session) featuring insights from 51 speakers, alongside a poster session highlighting 80 research abstracts and a rapid-fire session tailored for early-career investigators. Sessions encompassed multiple topics relevant to Latino cancer research, spanning health disparities, clinical trials, survivorship, patient advocacy, climate change impacts on cancer, precision medicine, health policy and social determinants of health. A post-conference survey from a cohort of 48 respondents underscored high levels of satisfaction, with 90% expressing pronounced contentment regarding the conference experience, compared to 85% in 2022. Moreover, nearly all respondents (98%) rated the relevance of conference content to Latino cancer science as excellent, with 93% regarding the conference as an exceptional platform for information exchange, compared to 79% in 2022. Impressions regarding session quality were overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of respondents indicating a high level of satisfaction, and all survey respondents acknowledging the objectivity, balance, and absence of commercial bias in the session content. Our results showed that the resounding positivity in attendee feedback reflects the conference's success in fostering meaningful engagement among researchers committed to alleviating Latino cancer health disparities. The ASCL conference facilitated an understanding of cultural nuances and barriers specific to the Latino community, stimulating collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing Latino health outcomes. Overall, this retrospective analysis affirms the conference's success in achieving its stipulated objectives and underscores the need of having consistently coordinated research endeavors to reduce Latino health disparities. Citation Format: Amelie G. Ramirez, Rebecca T. Jones, Matthew P. Banegas, Maria C Camargo, Gerardo Colon-Otero, Cliff Despres, Laura Fejerman, Filipa Lynce, Martin Mendoza, Patricia I. Moreno, Alejandro Recio-Boiles, Barbara Segarra-Vazquez, Sandi Stanford, Mariana Stern, Katherine Y. Tossas, Edward J. Trapido, Nicolette M Orozco. Advancing the science of cancer in Latinos conference [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B032.