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Commitments: Prevention & Early Detection

American Lung Association: Saving Lives by Making Lung Cancer Screening More Accessible

The American Lung Associations’ LUNG FORCE and the American Thoracic Society are joining forces to produce an online Lung Cancer Screening Implementation Guide to go live on November 1, 2018, during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The guide is a pragmatic step-by-step plan to help design, implement, and conduct low-dose CT screening programs for lung cancer.  It offers an overview of the general structure of lung cancer screening programs and topics for consideration while planning, including potential pitfalls and obstacles along with resources and tools that will aid healthcare systems in establishing their own lung cancer screening program. The guide also covers smoking cessation, which is an integral part of any lung cancer screening program.  The project was funded by Genentech, the American Lung Association, and the American Thoracic Society.

California Breast Cancer Research Program: Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer

The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) announces the launch of the Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer to surface game-changing breast cancer primary prevention research ideas. CBCRP is seeking bold ideas from researchers and advocates, defined as anyone who is not a scientist. The challenge runs through January 7, 2019. By providing cash prizes, feedback from respected researchers, and the opportunity to present ideas to prominent leaders in the field, the challenge aims to surface breakthrough ideas that will help catalyze the field of breast cancer primary prevention research. CBCRP is accepting applications in two categories: one for researchers and one for advocates. The most promising ideas will frame CBCRP’s future funding strategy and will be further developed in California with $15 million in grant funding from the program. CRCRP’s mission is to prevent and eliminate breast cancer by leading innovation in research, communication, and collaboration in the California scientific and lay communities.

Colorectal Cancer Alliance: March Forth

March Forth is a new initiative launched by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to save 100,000 lives in the United States. With partners, families, and advocates across the country, March Forth is mounting a national effort to save 100,000 lives in the United States by driving up screening rates. An astounding 50,000 Americans will die in 2018 from colorectal cancer, making it the second leading cancer killer in the United States. Unlike many other cancers, most of these deaths could have been prevented with proper screening. Philadelphia has a 44 percent screening rate, making it one of the worst performing cities in the country. March Forth is launching city by city starting in Philadelphia. Partners include the American Cancer Society, McKinsey & Company, the Wharton School of Business, Thomas Jefferson University, Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University, Independence Blue Cross, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Exact Sciences, Boston Scientific, Bracco, Epigenomics, Olympus, Clinical Genomics, and Stericycle.

Deloitte: An XPRIZE in Early Cancer Detection*

The concept for a competition designed to detect cancer was initially designed and funded by Deloitte, as part of XPRIZE’s 2016 Visioneering Summit and in parallel with the 2016 Cancer Moonshot, at which the prize concept was validated by a group of experts, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, and was officially put into the XPRIZE development pipeline. The concept is to develop a global solution designed to rapidly, affordably, and accurately screen for early cancers where intervention can reduce human suffering. Since 2016, XPRIZE has added two partners to the prize development process, the American Cancer Society and Cancer Research UK. XPRIZE, American Cancer Society, Cancer Research UK along with industry experts are currently in the final stages of developing this XPRIZE concept with the hope to launch this global competition in the first half of 2019.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center: Colon Cancer Prevention in the Neighborhood*

The “Colon Cancer Prevention in the Neighborhood” program launched by Washington Hospital Center, Washington Cancer Institute targets African-American residents of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 5 where a crisis of late-stage colon cancer exists, despite high rates of health insurance. This program now commits to establish a replicable model to apply across the District of Columbia. and other major urban areas where colon cancer rates are disproportionately high. In addition, the long-term health equity goal is to reduce screening, early detection, and mortality disparities between African Americans and Caucasians. This program is a daily, neighborhood-based, capacity building effort to educate and offer onsite Fecal Occult Blood Test kits and colonoscopy registration to D.C. residents with the United States highest rates of colon cancer mortality. Project Goals are to understand why people with health insurance do not seek annual screenings; and to pilot a novel, culturally competent navigation program to build partnerships, provide access to screening via FIT kit distribution and colonoscopy navigation. The inaugural year of this program was sponsored by American Cancer Society and Cigna Foundation.

City of Miami Beach*

The City of Miami Beach, in partnership with Mount Sinai Medical Center and Destination Brands International, launched the nation’s first free sunscreen dispenser program on its beaches, pools, and parks as part of the Cancer Moonshot and now commits to share the Miami Beach Suncare dispenser program model with municipalities and hospital partners throughout the nation to help drive this national movement in skin cancer awareness and prevention. The program’s success has expanded to the City of Long Beach, NY, in partnership with NYU Winthrop Hospital, currently in its second year with commitment through 2019. The Town of Hempstead, NY, in partnership with South Nassau Communities Hospital, is also in its second year, having expanded the program to include additional dispensers in 2018. These municipalities commit to serving their communities through increased awareness in the importance of sun safety and free sunscreen protection for all who work, play and visit their municipalities. In addition to the existing programs, the City of Miami Beach commits to expanding their sunscreen dispenser program to other municipalities and has secured sunscreen funding for two years of a new five-year program in another city (for up to 30 public sunscreen dispensers).

Munson Healthcare System, Cowell Family Cancer Center: Cancer Screening and Early Detection in a Rural Setting

The Cowell Family Cancer Center together with Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine announces a new project to build an effective and sustainable community partnership for cancer education, detection and screening among underserved individuals in a rural region in northern Michigan. The overarching goal of this work is to decrease rural disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival.  The impacted region includes remote rural locales, tribal land, and a vibrant community of seasonal farmworkers who spend summer months harvesting the area’s plentiful cherry crops. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of tailored cancer early detection resources, the successful training of nurse educators and community partner teams, and the implementation of educational sessions throughout the rural region.  Participant surveys will be evaluated to identify cancer screening barriers, which will inform future interventions to reduce cancer early detection inequities.  The project’s impact will be assessed by evaluating the training and educational session surveys and by assessing participant’s screening participation.