Researchers have called it the "Hispanic paradox": When it comes to breast cancer, prostate cancer and heart disease, Latino patients survive longer after diagnosis than their non-Latino white and black counterparts.

Overall, Hispanic women have a lower incidence of breast cancer, but among those who develop the disease, prognosis and survival are poor.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to discontinue funds to Planned Parenthood health centers for breast cancer prevention, screenings and education can potentially be harmful to Latinas health.

The cancer threat is expected to increase with the aging populations of Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Pan American Health Organization.