TLCI’s 2025 Forum Series revealed a sobering paradox: we have the tools to prevent many cancers affecting Latino men, yet disparities persist. Here’s a snapshot of what’s driving the gap.

January 6, 2026 — When three highly educated, insured Latino men—all with advanced degrees—shared their prostate cancer journeys at The Latino Cancer Institute’s first 2025 Forum, they revealed something troubling: despite their resources and healthcare literacy, each struggled to get complete information about their diagnosis and treatment options. (You can hear these perspectives firsthand in our “Ask the Men” video short.)

We ask a sobering question: If the system fails men with every advantage, what happens to those without them?

This moment set the tone for TLCI’s 2025 National Friday Forum Series on Latino Men’s Health & Cancer, which brought together 180 presenters and participants—researchers, clinicians, healthcare workers, community advocates, and families—across three national convenings. What they learned points to a critical gap between what we know and what we do.

The Paradox: Preventable Burden, Available Tools, Uneven Application

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death among Latinos in the United States. Latino men face higher rates of prostate, colorectal, liver, testicular, and gastric cancers—often diagnosed at later stages when treatment is harder and outcomes worse.

Here’s what makes this particularly urgent: many of these cancers are preventable or highly treatable when caught early. The tools exist. The knowledge exists. Yet Latino men remain underserved.

The Forums examined why.

It’s Not Just About Genetics (Though That Matters Too)

Forum presenters shared research on genetic variants that dramatically increase cancer risk in Latino populations:

• 55% of Hispanic/Latino adults carry a genetic variant that increases liver disease risk up to fourfold—more than double the rate in non-Hispanic whites
• In some populations, this reaches 77%
• Latino men now have the highest incidence of testicular cancer in the U.S., with 17% diagnosed at distant stages

But genetics alone don’t explain the disparities. Access does.

When genetic testing isn’t routinely offered, when culturally informed care isn’t available, when 55% of U.S. counties have no oncologists—genetic discoveries don’t translate into better outcomes. They risk widening existing gaps.

The System Gaps That Cost Lives

Several statistics stood out: increasing colorectal cancer screening to 80% could save approximately 11,000 lives annually in the U.S.

• Current screening rate among Latino men? 49%
• 56% diagnosed at Stage III or IV

An estimated 30,300 Americans will be diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2025, an infection-driven malignancy primarily caused by Helicobacter pylori.

• Latino men experience about twice the incidence of gastric cancer compared to white men
• Screening programs remain rare in U.S. Latino communities

Paternal pesticide exposure is linked to sharply increased childhood leukemia risk in Latino families:

• 50% increased risk of childhood leukemia
• 72–153% increased risk when specific organic compounds were involved

See more eye-opening statistics in our Latino Men’s Health Did You Know? web page.

Forum discussions revealed how multiple system failures compound:

• Nearly 28% of Latino men work in construction or maintenance—almost double the national average—with routine exposure to cancer-causing substances
• These occupational hazards don’t stay at job sites: pesticide drift, contaminated groundwater, and “take-home” exposures reach families and communities
• Latinos represent ~20% of the U.S. population but only 4.9% of practicing urologists
• Treatment options are often presented incompletely, even to educated, insured patients

What attendees said: 68% of pre-Forum survey respondents identified lack of culturally aligned providers as the most critical barrier to improving cancer outcomes for Latino men—the highest-ranked barrier.

What Happens Next

The 2025 Forums made one thing clear: cancer disparities among Latino men are not inevitable. They are shaped by systems—and systems can change.

TLCI is moving into 2026 with an 8th Annual Forum Series examining social determinants of health as cancer risk factors. We’re also launching new research partnerships and taking our findings to the National Cancer Institute in March.

Read More in our January 2026 Newsletter

Stay connected to this work through our January newsletter, which includes:

• Selected insights from our recent presenters
• Highlights from the Forums surveys
• A first look at our 2026 initiatives

Explore the 2025 Forum Series: online videos and presentation slides with specific recommendations and research findings are now available on our website.

Data Sources

• Forum 1, 2025, Why Are Latino Men at Higher Risk for Cancer?
• Forum 2, 2025, Machismo and Cancer Risk
• Forum 3, 2025, Building an Equitable Latino Healthcare Workforce
• American Cancer Society. (2024). Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanic/Latino People 2024-2026

Related TLCI Content

Interview: Why Latinos Face Higher Cancer Rates – AZ Radio program, La Hora del Cafecito, interview with TLCI’s Program Manager, Miriam Juárez.

Quick Facts: Did You Know? Eye-opening facts about Latino men’s health.

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