Always on Time: Cancer Prevention Across the Lifespan

Benefits of Transdisciplinary Approaches to Cancer Prevention

Author:

Sarah Gehlert, PhD (Presenter)
University of South Carolina, College of Social Work

Public health significance or rationale: The factors that explain population differences in cancer incidence have been studied from a broad range of perspectives, ranging from the cellular level to societal influences. This diversity of knowledge creates challenges to translating our scientific understanding of cancer causes and prevention into public health practice.

Purpose of your study or project: This presentation will address the benefits of using a multi-level, transdisciplinary approach to primary cancer prevention to overcome some of these challenges and the implications for public health practice, with examples of implementation.

Summary of the methods or approach: The presentation will include examples of real-world cancer prevention initiatives to illustrate the benefits of a transdisciplinary approach and explore how to achieve transdisciplinary functioning.

Results: Fresh approaches to cancer prevention are needed to address the complexities of cancer development over a lifespan and the social drivers of cancer disparities. By encompassing multiple levels of influence and engaging diverse scientific disciplines and non-traditional partners, we can facilitate the translation of existing knowledge about cancer risk into practical solutions for prevention. Keys to successful transdisciplinary functioning include developing an overall model to which investigators from different disciplines can equally contribute and maintaining continual dialogue for sharing and integrating information.

Conclusions and public health implications: Working across scientific disciplines to address the determinants of cancer risk at multiple levels can turn existing knowledge into successful solutions for cancer prevention.

Policies and Practices for Cancer Prevention: Indoor Tanning among Minors

Authors:

Dawn Holman (Presenter)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Jane Henley, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mary Elizabeth O’Neil, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Meg Watson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Public Health Statement: Indoor tanning increases a person’s skin cancer risk and is especially risky for young people.

Purpose: This presentation will review the CDC resource, “Policies & Practices for Cancer Prevention: Reducing Indoor Tanning among Minors” which can be used by public health practitioners to address indoor tanning in their local communities.

Methods/Approach: Data from the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used to describe the prevalence of indoor tanning among US high school students, and information from the peer reviewed literature was compiled to describe the associated risks and promising practices for reducing harms from indoor tanning.

Results: Nationwide, 7.3% of high school students and 15.2% of non-Hispanic white high school girls used an indoor tanning device in the past 12 months. In 2009, the World Health Organization classified indoor tanning devices as Class I human carcinogens on the basis of strong evidence linking indoor tanning to increased risk of skin cancer. Recent evidence has suggested even greater risk for those who start indoor tanning during youth. CDC and its partners can work together to reduce harms from indoor tanning among minors. Evidence suggests that restrictions on youth access, enforcement of existing laws, and restrictions on misleading advertising may be particularly successful. Activities such as including indoor tanning on state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, engaging with relevant partners, and providing evidence-based information to decision-makers can also be used.

Conclusions/Implications: A comprehensive approach to address social, economic, and environmental factors that influence indoor tanning among minors may be most successful in reducing harms.

Preventing Cancer by Reducing Excessive Alcohol Use

Authors:

Jane Henley (Presenter)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Jessica Mesnick, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Meredith Shoemaker, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dawn Holman, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mary Puckett, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Public Health Statement: Alcohol use can contribute to cancers of the female breast, liver, colon, rectum, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. More than half of U.S. adults drink alcohol and two-thirds of those who drink exceed limits recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, making alcohol use a common cancer risk factor. To potentially reduce cancer burden, the cancer control community can support the implementation of strategies to reduce excessive alcohol use.

Purpose: To describe information that comprehensive cancer control (CCC) programs and other public health practitioners can use to reduce the risk of cancer due to alcohol use.

Methods/Approach: We reviewed clinical and community strategies to reduce excessive alcohol use and examined CCC plans to see how alcohol use was addressed as a risk factor.

Results: CDC’s “Policies and Practices for Cancer Prevention: Preventing Cancer by Reducing Excessive Alcohol Use” document identifies resources that CCC programs can use such as cancer surveillance data to monitor rates of alcohol-associated cancers and health survey data to monitor alcohol use among youths and adults and use of alcohol screening and brief intervention. Additionally, the document describes evidence-based strategies such as those outlined in the Guide to Community Preventive Services that CCC programs could use to create environments that prevent excessive alcohol use and suggests potential partners to engage in these efforts.

Conclusions/Implications: State-specific information about the prevalence of alcohol use, the burden of alcohol-associated cancers, and the status of evidence-based strategies to reduce excessive alcohol use can be useful in planning and evaluating CCC program activities.

Policies and Practices for Cancer Prevention and Survivorship: Physical Activity

Authors:

Mary Puckett (Presenter)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Meredith Shoemaker, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
John Omura, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Public Health Statement: Evidence suggests physical activity reduces the risk of several cancers, including breast and colon cancers. Being physically active also helps prevent overweight or obesity, which may reduce a person’s risk of certain cancers related to excess body weight. Additionally, cancer survivors who are physically active have a better quality of life, better physical fitness, and better overall survival than survivors who are inactive. Increasing physical activity can promote both cancer prevention and cancer survivorship.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide grantees of CDC’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) and other public health practitioners with a source of evidence-based resources to increase physical activity in their communities.

Methods/Approach: We assessed available resources for evidence-based interventions for promoting physical activity in a variety of settings. Sources included the Guide to Community Preventive Services, the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, and others.

Results: We identified multiple evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions for increasing physical activity in the community. Many addressed school and workplace settings, and several resources addressed community-wide efforts. We also identified some clinical resources for healthcare providers to counsel patients on increasing physical activity and identified several strategies that NCCCP grantees can use to incorporate physical activity promotion into their cancer control activities.

Conclusions/Implications: By using these existing evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies, NCCCP grantees and other public health practitioners can make the most of their resources to improve physical activity for cancer prevention and survivorship in their communities.

Putting Cancer Prevention into Action Through a State Comprehensive Cancer Control Program

Authors:

Heather Dacus (Presenter)
New York State Department of Health

Suzanne Kuon, New York State Department of Health
Wendy Gould, New York State Department of Health
Heather LeBlanc, New York State Department of Health
Gina O’Sullivan, New York State Department of Health

Public Health Statement: The Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control at the New York State Department of Health works to reduce the burden of cancer for all New Yorkers by promoting policy, systems and environmental changes that support health in communities. Such efforts address known cancer risk factors to put the science of cancer prevention into action at the state and local level.

Purpose: This presentation will describe a coordinated set of strategies conducted by cancer prevention and control public health practitioners in New York State to create environments that support health and health equity and address risk factors for cancer and other chronic diseases.

Methods/Approach: Bureau efforts rely on a common framework which promotes primary cancer prevention and health equity and monitors outcomes through evaluation and surveillance.

Results: Funded by CDC since 2003, key activities include building strong partnerships; assessing the cancer burden and monitoring changes in population-based measures including public opinion; developing, promoting and evaluating the Comprehensive Cancer Control plan; and sharing the latest data to inform policy decisions. Examples of success coming out of specific cancer prevention projects within New York State will be shared.

Conclusions/Implications: State health departments play an integral role in promoting cancer prevention at the state and local level. Comprehensive Cancer Control programs can work with partners at all levels to address known risk factors in their communities and put the science of cancer prevention into action.