But the same isn t true for the Latina community. These women are giving each other a sense of community. It s a good match in their culture. Surviving together Ana Lilia Gonzalez, a social worker for the San Jose support group Las Isabelas, said she can see the difference that support groups make in willingness to discuss cancer. She has seen women who at first were reluctant to talk in private about the disease, volunteer to appear on television programs as spokeswomen for Las Isabelas in the hopes of educating others.
Support groups are part outreach, part education and part grassroots effort.
The women in the Rose group encourage family members to set mammogram appointments. Members of Las Isabelas show their communities that breast cancer can be treated. These women tell other women. That s the educational function of the groups. Although breast cancer rates for Hispanic women are relatively low, cases are diagnosed relatively late.