What CDC Is Doing About Health Disparities in Cancer

CDC provides funding and technical assistance to help states, tribes/tribal organizations, and territories collect data on cancer incidence and death, cancer risk factors, and the use of cancer screening tests. Public health professionals use the data to identify and track cancer trends, strengthen cancer prevention and control activities, and prioritize the use of resources.

National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). By documenting new cancer cases within each state, the NPCR identifies minority groups that experience health disparities in cancer and aids in state cancer planning.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). The NBCCEDP provides breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and access to treatment for low-income, medically underserved, and uninsured women (emphasizing recruitment of minority women) through states, tribes, and territories.

National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). The NCCCP provides seed money, structure, and support for developing and implementing Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) plans in all 50 states, and in several tribes and U.S. Associated Pacific Islands and territories. CCC is a collaborative process through which a community pools resources to reduce the burden of cancer that results in risk reduction, early detection, better treatment, and enhanced survivorship.

Consortium of National Networks to Impact Populations Experiencing Tobacco-Related and Cancer Health Disparities supports a consortium of national networks to advance commercial tobacco use prevention and cancer prevention in populations experiencing tobacco-related and cancer health disparities.

Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP). The program supports population-based screening efforts and provides colorectal cancer screening services to low-income men and women aged 50 to 64 years who are underinsured or uninsured for screening, when no other insurance is available.

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) is a national, multilevel program that serves as the cornerstone of CDC’s efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. Through REACH, CDC supports grantee partners that establish community-based programs and culturally appropriate interventions to eliminate health disparities among the racial and ethnic minorities.

Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). The CPCRN was established under the CDC-funded Prevention Research Center program to support academic and community partnerships for cancer prevention and control intervention and dissemination research. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based cancer prevention and control in communities through advancing the science of cancer prevention and control and influencing public health and primary care practice. In particular, it is engaged in enhancing large-scale efforts to reach underserved populations and reduce their burden of cancer.