The word alone strikes fear in millions of American hearts. The actual disease is the second-leading cause of death among Latino adults, according to an American Cancer Society report based on statistics from the year 2000.

That's reason enough for tonight's Relay for Life - Relevo por la Vida in Spanish - at 1355 W. 3100 South in West Valley City. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the overnight event at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center gives Latinos of all ages, economic and cultural backgrounds an opportunity to come together in a common cause: the fight against cancer.

"We are encouraging all of the general public to come and eat, dance and listen to the music," American Cancer Society spokeswoman Marnie Hansen says. "The more people we get to attend the event, the more money we raise" for cancer research.

Registration and setup for the relay gets under way at the center at 3 p.m. A survivors' reception will open the event at 5:30 p.m. All cancer survivors and their families are invited to attend. An opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. will follow, and several groups - Kausachun Peru, Potencia 1 and Banda Agave, among others - will provide entertainment throughout the event.

Participating teams at the relay will walk around a track through the night, a symbolic gesture to remind people that "cancer never sleeps." Organizers are encouraging people to camp out at the relay for fun, food, inspiration - and to show their support. At 8:20 p.m., a special luminaria ceremony is scheduled to celebrate survivors and honor those who have died from cancer.

Triunfadoras, a Latino breast-cancer support group, will help out at the relay to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

"Triunfadoras is the first Spanish-language breast-cancer support group in the Wasatch Front for members and their families," says Triunfadoras coordinator Sara Carbajal-Salisbury. "We are a team of people that have been affected by cancer, so we want to join those [who] are fighting this battle and promote cancer-prevention programs for our communities."

The relay will be especially poignant for Esther, a Latino woman who shared her story through a translator.

"I'm a breast-cancer survivor for four years, and I will never forget the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer," said Esther, who asked her last name not be used because of the stigma some attach to the disease. When "the doctor told me I had cancer, I felt as [if] he was telling [me] I was going to die.

"The first thing that came to my mind was my children," she continued. "How was I going to leave them if I died? Who was going to take care of them? It was the worst moment of my life . . . I did not know anything about cancer nor cancer treatments. All I knew was that my cancer was stage four. Then I learned that the chances were really good to get cured. That brought me hope."

As a Latina woman, Esther is well aware of the challenges people face when they are diagnosed with the disease outside their native country.

"Many of us cannot afford medical insurance, and this is a real nightmare when you face a cancer diagnosis," she said. "We don't speak the doctors' or nurses' language, so sometimes we don't even understand what kind of procedures we will go through. Not to understand the language makes us feel shy to ask questions [about] things we are concerned about."

Esther's family and a cancer-support group have helped sustain her through the difficult time. She advises others diagnosed with cancer to trust in God, keep their "faith alive, get a lot of information and learn how . . . to help" themselves.

She also recommends joining a support group for emotional support and to share tips and feelings. "The Relay for Life is important in the Hispanic community because we need to spread the word . . . about cancer prevention," Esther said. "We need to learn how to support organizations that will support us tomorrow when we might need it."

Tonight's Relay for Life is open to the public, and donations to the American Cancer Society will be accepted at the event. For more information, call Marnie Hansen at 801-483-1500 or via e-mail at marnie.hansen@cancer.org.

Triunfadoras meets from 6 - 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the American Cancer Society, 3300 S. 941 East.