Actor and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Ambassador Jaime Camil has joined forces with cancer survivors in a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign to raise awareness with the Hispanic community about cancer clinical trials. The print and radio PSAs entered the market beginning May 20 on International Clinical Trials Day.
The new PSA campaign comes on the heels of SU2C’s announcement earlier this year about its new Health Equity Initiative, which aims to accelerate and increase diversity in cancer clinical trials to ensure patients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds benefit equally from the potential of cancer treatments.
“Cancer affects everyone, yet only 4% of clinical trial participants are Hispanic,” says Camil. “I’m joining Stand Up To Cancer in honor of my uncle Raúl, who I lost to pancreatic cancer. This campaign gives me hope for everyone contending with this terrible disease, especially the Hispanic community, and I feel honored to stand alongside five cancer survivors who are here today because of the advances made through clinical trials.”
Clinical trials are critically important to developing better therapies for cancer patients and advancing cancer care. While clinical trials allow researchers to study innovative and potentially life-saving new treatments, they often have low participation by racial and ethnic minorities. This effort to grow participation aims to foster increased understanding of the biology of cancer, cancer genetics and advancements in technology, in order to attain comparable outcomes for all racial and ethnic populations.
“Jaime Camil is an inspiring voice to encourage clinical trial participation in honor of his uncle and with his wider Hispanic community in mind,” said Stand Up To Cancer CEO Sung Poblete, PhD, RN. “Increased participation of Hispanic and Latino patients in cancer clinical trials is critical to Stand Up To Cancer’s mission to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. We are so thankful to Jaime for joining us and standing up alongside survivors to advance cancer care for all.”
The PSA encourages patients and their loved ones to visit StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials or UnidosContraElCancer.org/EnsayosClinicos to learn more about clinical trials and begin the conversation with their doctor to find out which clinical trial(s) may be right for them.
Visitors to StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials will find easy-to-understand content (in English and Spanish) explaining what clinical trials are, the benefits of participating, and what to expect if you or a loved one participates in a clinical trial. The website also provides a list of questions that can be printed for reference during discussions with a healthcare provider. Additionally, the site provides a free and confidential Clinical Trial Finder, allowing patients or their caregivers interested in finding an appropriate clinical trial to submit an online form, or call a toll-free number, to begin the process.
Camil played Rogelio de la Vega on the hit series Jane the Virgin, which garnered him two Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. His other acting credits include Las Pildoras De Mi Novio (My Boyfriend’s Meds), Coco and CBS’ comedy series Broke.
Cancer survivors who star in the PSA alongside Camil include Christian, 22 (leukemia); Ghecemy, 39 (breast and thyroid cancer); Jason, 34 (stomach cancer); Joe, 51 (colorectal cancer); and Jeanie, 78 (breast cancer).
Data has shown that Hispanic communities are disproportionally affected not only by cancer, but also by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stand Up To Cancer remains committed to serving the entire cancer community, and has developed resources to assist cancer patients and caregivers during this difficult time. To access these resources, visit StandUpToCancer.org/COVID19 or UnidosContraElCancer.org/COVID19.
To learn more, visit StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials and UnidosContraElCancer.org/EnsayosClinicos, and follow Stand Up To Cancer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @SU2C.
