# Presentation: 396420

## Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities

*Researching and Partnering to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities*

- Established in March 2001, the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) is central to NCI’s efforts to reduce the unequal burden of cancer in racially and ethnically diverse and underserved populations, and train the next generation of competitive researchers from diverse populations in cancer and cancer health disparities research.
- CRCHD integrates studies across NCI’s research divisions to identify scientific areas that provide opportunities to reduce and eliminate cancer health disparities.
_**CRCHD Mission Statements**_
-  Coordinate and strengthen the NCI cancer research portfolio in basic, clinical, translational and population-based research to address cancer health disparities;
-  Lead NCI’s efforts in the training of students and investigators from diverse populations that will be part of the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research;
-  Create state-of-the-art regional networks/centers dedicated to cancer health disparities research and care through geographic program management.

_**Working to Overcome Disparities**_
- CRCHD is committed to the NCI strategic objective to overcome cancer health disparities.
- Four current CRCHD research and training initiatives:
** ****The Community Networks Program (CNP)**
- The Community Networks Program (CNP)    expands upon previous NCI-funded community research to reduce cancer disparities through community-based participatory cancer education, training and research among racially and ethnically diverse, and underserved populations. The goal of the program is to increase access to and use of
- beneficial cancer interventions to reduce disparities.
** ****The Patient Navigator Research Program                     (PNRP)**
- The Patient Navigator Research Program links patients with trained health care workers – or “navigators” – who assist those in need of cancer care services. The overall goal of this program is to develop and evaluate innovative patient navigator interventions designed to decrease the time between a cancer-related abnormal finding, definitive diagnosis, and delivery of quality standard cancer care services.
** ****Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (MI/CCP)**
- MI/CCP aims to create stable, comprehensive, and long-term partnerships between minority serving institutions (MSIs) and cancer centers (CCs) in the areas of research, training, career development, and outreach.  Through these collaborations, MSIs and CCs work together to train scientists from diverse backgrounds in cancer research, and enhance efforts to effectively reach racially and ethnically diverse communities with cancer advances.

_**Contact Information**_
- Please visit the CRCHD Web site at _[http://crchd.cancer.gov/](http://crchd.cancer.gov/)__ or contact us if you would like more information about CRCHD._
- 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 602
- Rockville, MD 20852
- Phone: 301-496-8589
- Fax: 301-435-9225

- Draft last updated: March 25, 2008

## Training Programs

- Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE)
- The CURE program introduces promising young students, researchers and faculty from racially and ethnically diverse and underrepresented populations to cancer research, and provides them with a continuum of competitive training and career development opportunities leading to successful careers as independent cancer investigators.  The CURE supports its grantees through CURE Supplements, Diversity Supplements, NRSA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (F31), and Career Development Awards (K).

_**An Overview of Cancer Health Disparities**_
- Cancer affects people of all races and ethnicities in the U.S. In 2007, about 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. In the U.S., cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths.
- The burden of cancer, however, is greater for the poor, racially and ethnically diverse groups, and the uninsured compared to the general population.
- In recent years, there have been significant advances in science and in understanding and treatment of cancer.  Yet, there are many people in this country who do not sufficiently benefit from these research advances.  This gap between what we know and what we deliver is a critical determinant in health disparities.

- 1973    Henschke UK, et al. published *Alarming Increase of Cancer Mortality in the U.S. Black Population (1950-1967).*
- 1985    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the *Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and*
*Minority Health.*
- 1989    NCI founded the National Black
- Leadership Initiative on Cancer.
- 1992    NCI founded the National Hispanic
- Leadership Initiative and Appalachian
- Leadership Initiative on Cancer.
- 1997 NCI established the **Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences program (CURE)**.
- 1999    Institute of Medicine issued *The Unequal Burden of Cancer, *and the President's Cancer Panel issued *Discovery Must Be Linked to Delivery. *
- 2001    President's Cancer Panel issued *Voices of a Broken System: Real People, Real Problems.*
-    NCI established the **Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD).**
- 2001   NCI established the **Minority Institution Cancer Center Partnership program (MI/CCP)**.
- 2003    Institute of Medicine issued *Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare.*
- 2004    Trans-HHS Cancer Health Disparities Progress Review Group issued *Making Cancer Health Disparities History.*
- 2005    NCI established 25 **Community Networks Programs, **building on the Special Populations Networks.
- 2005    NCI established the **Patient Navigator Research Program.**
- 2006    NCI published the proceedings from *Enhancing Interactions to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities: An NCI-wide Workshop.*

_**Milestones in Cancer Health Disparities**_

_**Looking Toward the Future**_
- CRCHD's future plans will focus on sponsoring new cancer and cancer health disparities research that brings together advances in basic, clinical, and population-based sciences to address cancers that are more prevalent in diverse communities. Research that enhances understanding of the biological differences in cancer and improves access among racially and ethnically diverse and medically underserved populations to proven interventions in prevention, early detection, treatment, follow-up, and survival will also be important.
- In addition, the CRCHD will continue to lead NCI’s efforts in the training of students and new investigators from diverse communities in cancer and cancer health disparities research. Finally, supporting community-based, trans-disciplinary research will continue to be a hallmark to the work of CRCHD.