Summit to Address Risk of HPV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C Disproportionately Affecting Houston

The Prevent Cancer Foundation is partnering with Houston Health Department, Harris Country Public Health and Environmental Services, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and the Asian American Health Coalition/Hope Clinic to bring its Think About the Link campaign to Houston with the goal of increasing awareness of the connection between certain viruses and cancer.

On June 17, the Foundation and its partners will convene health care leaders, policy influencers and advocates from Houston and the surrounding area for a summit focused on the link between hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human papillomavirus (HPV) and certain cancers. Experts will discuss strategies to address high rates of hepatitis B, C and HPV in the city, including how to improve awareness of and access to vaccines, screenings and treatments in Houston to prevent the viruses, and ultimately, cancer. Following the summit on June 18, screenings and vaccinations for hepatitis B and HPV, as well as screenings for hepatitis C will be provided at multiple locations across the city. The event is sponsored by Merck, Gilead and AbbVie.

Houston’s diverse community is particularly at risk for these cancer causing viruses. Hispanic women are at higher risk for HPV, Asian-American and Pacific-Islanders are at higher risk for hepatitis B, and African-Americans are at higher risk for hepatitis C. Texas has the second highest rate of hepatitis C in the U.S.,[i] and spends nearly $170 million on HPV-related costs each year.[ii] There are vaccines to protect against HPV and hepatitis B and screenings and treatments to diagnose and cure hepatitis C. Yet, too many Houston residents are unaware of or cannot access these cancer-preventing strategies.

June 17 SUMMIT

WHO:

• Featured Summit Speakers Include:
  • Carolyn R. Aldigé, Prevent Cancer Foundation President and Founder
  • Andrea Caracostis, MD, MPH from Asian American Health Coalition and HOPE Clinic
  • Saira Khaderi, MD, MPH from Baylor College of Medicine
  • Kara Millon, Cervical Cancer Survivor
  • Ilan Nevah, MD from Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center
  • Loris Ramondetta, MD from MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Maxine Young, Hepatitis C Advocate
  • Representatives from Houston Health Department
  • Representative from Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services

WHERE:

Hess Club

5430 Westheimer Road

Houston, TX 77056

WHEN:

Friday, June 17, 2016

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

June 18 SCREENINGS:

· 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

HOPE Clinic Main/HOPE Clinic

7001 Corporate Drive, Ste. 120

Houston, Texas 77036

· 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Crossover Bible Fellowship/Houston Health Department

12332 Perry Rd. Houston, TX 77070

WHY:

· Texas has the sixth lowest three-dose HPV vaccination rates for both girls and boys in the U.S.[iii]

· In Texas, annual HPV-related costs for men and women approach $170 million.[iv]

· Women living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border have a higher incidence of cervical cancer than those living in non-border counties.[v] Ninety percent of these women are Hispanic, a demographic at higher risk for HPV.

· In 2014, 2,052 cases of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer were reported in Harris County and 12,526 cases were reported in all of Texas.[vi]

• Texas has the second highest hepatitis C rate in the U.S.i About 300,000 Texans are estimated to have hepatitis C.i

• Hepatitis C infection is more common among African-Americans, who make up about 24 percent of Houston’s population and 13 percent of Texas’ population.[vii]

RSVP: Space is limited. All reporters are asked to RSVP in advance to Anu Kumar at ankumar@apcoworldwide.com.

[i] National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. “NVHR Hepatitis C State Specific Resources Page.” http://nvhr.org/content/nvhr-hepatitis-c-state-specific-resources-pages.

[ii] Texas Public Health Association. “Cervical Cancer and HPV-related Disease in Texas.” February 2007. http://www.texaspha.org/resources/Documents/BestPracticePrevention_Fonseca.pdf.

[iii] CDC. “National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United States, 2014.” July 31, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6429a3.htm.

[iv] Texas Public Health Association. “Cervical Cancer and HPV-related Disease in Texas.” February 2007. http://www.texaspha.org/resources/Documents/BestPracticePrevention_Fonseca.pdf.

[v] MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Project ECHO- Cervical Cancer Prevention.” 2016. https://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/resources-for-professionals/clinical-tools-and-resources/project-echo/programs/cervical-cancer-prevention/project-echo-cervical-cancer-prevention.html.

[vi] Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Cancer Registry. “Cancer Incidence File.” January 2014. http://www.cancer-rates.info/tx/.

[vii] United States Census Bureau. “QuickFacts.” http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/RHI425214/48,4835000.