The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has backed an effort by the Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education (CCARE) to create health partnerships with Southern California residents and community-based groups.
The NCI’s new cancer center support grant provides $150,000 to City of Hope for one year, renewable for five years, to fund a community health educator who will join the NCI’s National Outreach Network. Only eight cancer centers received the award this year.
In 2009, the NCI established the National Outreach Network to integrate outreach and cancer information-dissemination activities into its Community Networks Program. These networks study the effectiveness of tailored communication, outreach and education in prevention and health promotion in underserved and at-risk communities.
Researchers found that certain ethnic and racial groups have higher rates of certain cancers or fare worse with these cancers than other groups. As scientists uncover the reasons behind these disparities, community health specialists put their findings into practice.
 Kimlin Tam Ashing-Giwa (Photo by Judy Tejero) |
“This initiative will create more of a relationship between NCI cancer centers and the community,” said Kimlin Tam Ashing-Giwa, Ph.D., CCARE founding director and professor of population sciences. “We aim to work with the NCI through our comprehensive cancer center to equalize cancer outcomes.”
Through the program, the CCARE community health educator will educate community members, spreading knowledge about good health practices and screening resources to improve prevention and early detection of cancer. The effort will also increase public knowledge and awareness about clinical trials and biospecimen banking, expanding acceptability and access to cancer-related research and trials for African-Americans, Latinos and other ethnic minorities.
To learn more about the NCI’s cancer disparities efforts, visit http://crchd.cancer.gov.
