2026 LMSA PODER Symposium · poster presentation

ENTERA: A Bilingual, Community-Centered Framework for Addressing Breast Cancer Disparities Among Latina Women

Noheli Carrasco Torrez, BS, RT(T)

Georgetown University School of Medicine · Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies (GEMS) Program · RAISE Health Disparities Research Project

entera, “whole, complete” in Spanish. The name reflects a whole-person approach across the breast cancer care continuum.

Why this matters

Latina women in the U.S. face persistent breast cancer disparities, including later-stage diagnosis and limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate survivorship support.1

Local evidence from Washington, DC, highlights structural barriers that can disrupt screening and follow-up in underserved communities.2

Methods

Literature-informed health disparities review: peer-reviewed studies, Washington, DC-specific cancer and public health data, and community-based breast cancer interventions serving Latina populations. Supplemented by expert interviews with two researchers specializing in cancer disparities and survivorship.

Key barriers identified

  • Transportation
  • Unstable contact information
  • Language barriers
  • Mistrust of health systems

Key findings

  • Structural barriers that can persist even among insured patients.2,3
  • Cultural narratives that overstate fatalism as a primary barrier, while structural barriers persist despite patient motivation.3
  • Research gaps, including underrepresentation of Latinas in genomic research and barriers to hereditary cancer risk awareness, counseling, and testing among Latinas.4,5,6
  • These findings informed ENTERA, a five-component framework.

Scroll the figure sideways to see the full continuum →

ENTERA framework showing evidence-informed barriers across the breast cancer care continuum and five complementary components.
  • Evidence-informed

    Bilingual education

    Supports genetic-risk education and access.5,6

  • Evidence-informed

    Resource navigation

    Responds to structural barriers.2,3

  • Evidence-informed

    Fitness and nutrition support

    Supports survivorship needs.8

  • Evidence-informed

    Community integration

    Trusted touchpoints across the continuum.

  • Proposed

    Proposed AI-enabled tracking and reminders

    symptom tracking and personalized bilingual reminders via SMS/WhatsApp. Not yet implemented or evaluated within ENTERA.

Conclusions

ENTERA offers an equity-centered framework built around community trust rather than retrofitting English-first approaches.

Limitations

Evidence is heterogeneous and often population-specific. DC-specific breast health data for Latina women remain limited, and ENTERA has not yet been pilot tested.

Future work

Community co-design and initial pilot testing in Washington, DC.

References

  1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanic/Latino People 2024–2026. American Cancer Society; 2024.
  2. Staib J, Catlett K, DaCosta Byfield S. Cancer Res. 2022;82(4 Suppl):P3-14-07.
  3. De Jesus M, Miller EB. Health Care Women Int. 2015;36(5):593–607.
  4. Lynce F, Graves KD, Jandorf L, et al. Cancer Control. 2016;23(4):359–372.
  5. Gammon AD, Rothwell E, Simmons R, et al. J Genet Couns. 2011;20(6):625–638.
  6. Hurtado-de-Mendoza A, Graves K, Gómez-Trillos S, et al. Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):116.
  7. Nápoles AM, Ortiz C, Santoyo-Olsson J, et al. J Community Support Oncol. 2017;15(1):20–27.
  8. Greenlee H, Santiago-Torres M, Contento I, et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2026;126(5):156260.

Acknowledgments

  • Expert consultants: Chiranjeev Dash, MBBS, PhD, MPH; Kristi Graves, PhD

Contact

For questions about the framework, collaboration, or the full poster, reach out on LinkedIn.

Connect on LinkedIn Download the poster (PDF)

ENTERA is an academic framework presented for scholarly discussion. It is educational in nature and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own healthcare provider. Contenido educativo; no reemplaza la consulta médica.

© 2026 Noheli Carrasco Torrez. All rights reserved.