Leading Breast Cancer Patient Resource, Breastcancer.org, Fills Critical Information Void for Latinas With New Spanish-Language Site

Actress Judy Reyes and Oncologist Dr. Generosa Grana Partner With Breastcancer.org to Promote Translated Site

ARDMORE, Pa., Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, global nonprofit Breastcancer.org announced the Spanish-language rollout of its website, a dedicated effort to bring the most up-to-date information about breast cancer to the Spanish-speaking community. Actress Judy Reyes (Gun Hill Road, Scrubs) and leading oncologist Dr. Generosa Grana are speaking to media nationwide during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer on the Latino community and let them know about this comprehensive, new resource that can ensure they make informed decisions about their breast cancer care.

Breastcancer.org is the number one online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support. They have been providing services in English since 2000. Last year alone, Breastcancer.org received more than 10 million visits from 230 countries and territories around the world.

As the Hispanic population continues to increase rapidly, Breastcancer.org has rolled out a Spanish-language version of the website to extend their resources to a vast sector of the global population that is not being reached with this level of disease and support information.

While Hispanic women are statistically less likely than other ethnicities to be diagnosed with breast cancer, their death rate from the disease is higher, a fact that the organization found troubling.

Medical spokesperson Dr. Generosa Grana has been treating breast cancer patients since 1994, and her practice cares for patients from the Philadelphia-area Hispanic community. Dr. Grana notes, "Latinas have poor mortality and treatment outcomes because they experience challenges in getting access to care – often brought on by financial burdens and cultural fears and myths that hold many back from seeking treatment. Another factor is clearly the language barrier, which also can interfere with important discussions with their health care providers and affect their care. Information – especially when presented in a friendly, non-threatening, and credible way – can bridge many of these obstacles."

Spokesperson Judy Reyes, best known for her role as "Nurse Carla Espinosa" on the hit TV series Scrubs, understands the issue intimately as the daughter of and caregiver for a breast cancer survivor. Reyes had just moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She quickly found herself returning to the Bronx to care for and support her.

"Like many Latina women, my mother is a real source of strength in our family. It was scary and incredibly painful to watch her go through this difficult period," says Reyes. "I am thrilled to be part of Breastcancer.org's outreach effort to the Hispanic community. We need to remind ourselves and our loved ones to stay informed and take an active part in our own health – especially when the diagnosis is breast cancer. Breastcancer.org is an invaluable resource in this effort."

"Breast cancer is a complex disease and each person's situation is unique to her specific diagnosis … and her medical, emotional, financial, lifestyle, and cultural needs," says Dr. Grana. "Having Breastcancer.org's credible, expert-reviewed information available in Spanish will help educate Latinas on the various disease stages and types of breast cancer, inform them of all of the available treatment options, and enable them to put their treatment plan into perspective. Breastcancer.org is an integral part of the breast cancer 'team' and will enable Latinas to supplement their health care providers' information and give them access to answers whenever they have questions."

Dr. Marisa Weiss, president and founder of Breastcancer.org, has been a strong champion of Breastcancer.org's Spanish-language site. "We hope that this major resource will help raise awareness of preventive and treatment measures that will empower Latinas to protect their precious lives," says Dr. Weiss.

Breastcancer.org/es will launch with over 1,000 pages of expert-reviewed medical information on breast cancer – spanning all aspects of the illness, from symptoms and diagnosis through treatment and side effects. Future efforts will include lifestyle information, covering day-to-day matters around breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as culturally relevant content on breast cancer prevention. To learn more, visit Breastcancer.org/es.

Funding for the new Spanish-language site was made possible by the generous support from donors, including Genentech, a member of the Roche group; ING Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; Lisa D. Kabnick and John H. McFadden; New York City Bowling for Breastcancer.org; Patricia B.

About Breastcancer.org
Breastcancer.org is the #1 online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support, with more than 6,000 pages of expert-reviewed information and a robust, dynamic peer support community. A nonprofit organization, Breastcancer.org receives more than 10 million visits each year.

SOURCE Breastcancer.org