Abstract B002: Cancer health equity and research advocacy program among immigrant communities
Authors: Bolajoko Opeyemi O. , Ramirez Caleb , Pressey Shannon , Stephenson Noreen A. , Gordon Vinessa A. , Onyibe Binta , Efe Kingsley , Okaiwele Austin , Oloruntobo Mubo , Norris Brittany M. , Odedina Folakemi T. 
Published: September 2024

Introduction: In an effort to ensure an all-inclusive initiative that would close the disparity gap among the immigrant communities in Florida, we developed a pilot project under the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black Men Consortium with generous support from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC). The objective is to train cancer advocates to engage their communities and develop and implement cancer prevention and screening navigation programs. The central hypothesis for this program is that community-driven cancer advocacy will significantly improve cancer awareness, knowledge, prevention, risk reduction, screening uptake, and early detection among Black immigrants. Methods: We collaborated with immigrant communities’ leaders to brainstorm on the current state of healthcare access and disparities experienced by Black immigrants and to set program and research priorities through listening sessions. Cancer advocates were trained to engage their communities to (1) develop and implement cancer risk reduction and education programs using train-the-trainer approach, (2) mobilize the resources within the community for cancer health promotion, prevention, and screening strategies, (3) partner with key stakeholders to accomplish targeted objectives; (4) raise funds to support advocacy activities; and (5) develop and successfully organize community-centered programs. Results: We are currently working with 10 Black immigrant organizations, including immigrant churches across different ethnicities, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia, South Africa, Haiti, Jamaica, and across different cities in the United States. Eighteen community cancer advocates, including breast and prostate cancer survivors, caregivers, and community influencers, were trained to engage the immigrant communities in cancer risk reduction and research in Florida using multiple channels, including in-person community programs and online engagement approaches. We have engaged 720 immigrants in cancer risk reduction education and the need to participate in research during advocate-led in-person community outreaches. We currently have 26 immigrants who have volunteered in the Mayo Clinic Community Research Registry. The program is ongoing, and we anticipate that more than 750 will be engaged, and 100 will volunteer to be registered in the Mayo Clinic Community Research Registry. Conclusion: Advocate-led advocacy in immigrant communities will provide evidence for compelling arguments about the feasibility and availability of the Black immigrant population for robust and sustainable research and program engagements to eliminate disparity and advance cancer health equity.

Citation Format: Opeyemi O. Bolajoko, Caleb Ramirez, Shannon Pressey, Noreen A. Stephenson, Vinessa A. Gordon, Binta Onyibe, Kingsley Efe, Austin Okaiwele, Mubo Oloruntobo, Brittany M. Norris, Folakemi T. Odedina. Cancer health equity and research advocacy program among immigrant communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B002.