Respected cancer researcher takes the helm of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Most cancers stays a number one explanation for demise in Louisiana, in accordance with the CDC, however now the state says it has a brand new weapon to assist battle most cancers.

Joe Ramos, Ph.D., a famend most cancers researcher has been tapped to guide the Louisiana Most cancers Analysis Middle in New Orleans.

“That is an pressing, pressing mission too. In these numbers are disparities in most cancers incidence and survival for African People and different minorities,” mentioned Ramos throughout a welcoming ceremony held in his honor on Tuesday (July 26).

Ramos was final on the College of Hawaii.

FOX 8 requested him about his fast priorities as the highest particular person on the most cancers middle in Louisiana.

“I must get occurring and perceive the issue on the floor degree right here. As I mentioned, we should be doing analysis with our communities, for our communities, so ensuring that we’re doing the suitable issues, so I would like to grasp what these issues are,” mentioned Ramos.

Healthcare professionals and different scientists spoke of the prevalence of most cancers within the state.

Dr. Richard DiCarlo is Vice Chairman of the Louisiana Most cancers Analysis Middle and interim Dean of LSU Well being New Orleans College of Medication.

“Dr. Ramos make no mistake now we have loads of work to do right here in Louisiana. As an example, prostate most cancers is the main most cancers identified in Louisiana and our African American males are dying at a charge twice that of white males,” mentioned Dr. Richard DiCarlo, Vice Chair of the Louisiana Most cancers Analysis Middle and interim dean of LSU Well being New Orleans College of Medication,” mentioned DiCarlo.

Lung and breast most cancers charges in Louisiana are troubling, too.

“Lung most cancers is the main explanation for most cancers demise in Louisiana and our demise charge from lung most cancers is 25% greater than the nationwide demise charge. Breast most cancers is the second main explanation for most cancers demise amongst ladies in Louisiana and we rank third within the demise charge from breast most cancers within the nation,” mentioned DiCarlo.

With the assistance of Ramos, there’s optimism that in time the LCRC will achieve Nationwide Most cancers Institute designation. NCI is a part of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being.

Governor John Bel Edwards talked concerning the objective of attaining such a designation.

“There’s not an NCI-designated middle in Mississippi or Arkansas both and so now we have an actual alternative to turn into regional most cancers care designation,” mentioned Edwards.

Like the remainder of New Orleans, the most cancers analysis middle was impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Lee Hamm is LCRC Board Chairman and Dean of Tulane’s College of Medication.

“The LCRC misplaced a few of its most outstanding most cancers researchers and was compelled to rebuild mainly from scratch,” mentioned Hamm.

However within the years since Hurricane Katrina, they are saying there was loads of progress, and LSU, Tulane and Xavier Universities in addition to Ochsner are concerned with the middle.

Reynold Verret, Ph.D., is President of Xavier College of Louisiana which is positioned in New Orleans.

“At Xavier, we’ve been very a lot dedicated to well being and analysis to well being disparities, particularly most cancers,” mentioned Verret.

“Most cancers does contact everybody but it surely touches the toughest those that are essentially the most deprived and that’s simply the unhappy actuality; now we have too many individuals in Louisiana who’re too deprived,” mentioned Gov. Edwards.

Ramos already has plans to catch some cancers earlier.

“There are issues that we are able to do to catch the lung cancers earlier and so, for instance, creating applications the place we are able to get sufferers who’re at-risk could also be heavy people who smoke in order that they will get screened earlier than there’s any signs,” mentioned Ramos.

Ramos plans a statewide tour. In the meantime, it was acknowledged that LSU, Tulane, Xavier, and Ochsner labored collectively on federally-funded most cancers analysis initiatives that in 2021 served greater than 2,000 sufferers in medical trials in Louisiana.

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