Dr. Alvarez Secord emphasized the urgent need for increased research, stating, “We need to do something. It’s a serious call for action.”
The oncologist expressed concern over recent funding cuts to the national Institutes of Health (NIH), which have affected medical research across the country, including cancer research in the Triangle region.
“It is very hard for OBGYNs to compete at that level,” Alvarez Secord commented. “I think probably in terms of NIH dollars, OBGYNs represent about 1% of that. When you cut funding even further, I’m worried that we’re going to lose a generation of researchers who are going to have a calling to do this work specifically for cancers that affect women.”
When questioned about potential factors contributing to the rise in cancer diagnoses among young peopel, Alvarez Secord pointed to the food supply.
“I think there’s a lot of potential linkages between food, not just highly processed, but different types of food that we eat. We’ve gone from an habitat where you used to eat food that came out of your own garden, to an environment where now everything’s bought at the grocery store. And, a lot of people don’t even eat raw vegetables and fruits,” she stated.
Maultsby shared that one of her most meaningful pieces of advice for other young adults is to prioritize their health.
“People need to empower themselves, especially with learning their own family history and their own personal risk,” she advised. “remember your health is so precious. Being so young,it is indeed easy to take health for granted.”
She added, “When I was younger, I wish I had limited alcohol more. I wish I had been more physically active,and consumed less processed foods,and slept better. I definitely didn’t take as great care of myself as I do today. It’s only as once you lose your health it becomes the most precious thing to you.”
