CANCER DISPARITIES NEWS DIGEST (12.18.06)
HOLIDAY ISSUE: PART 2 OF 2
In This Issue...
CRCHD Announcements
SPN Monograph Available
This monograph highlights the activities and accomplishments of the Special
Populations Networks program (SPN), a 5-year, nationwide NCI-funded program to
reduce cancer health disparities in minority and medically underserved
populations.
http://www.cancer.gov
Brochures Reprinted
CRCHD, Community Networks Program (CNP), and Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) brochures have been reprinted. You can request copies of any of the brochures by sending an e-mail to penalosat@mail.nih.gov and provide the mailing address, quantity requested, and title of brochure requested.
Cancer News from NCI, NIH, and other Federal Agencies
From the NCI Director
The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research: A Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2008
The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research: A Plan and Budget Proposal
for Fiscal Year 2008 reports on both strategic priorities and
implementation progress in work by the National Cancer Institute to reduce the
burden of cancer on the lives of all Americans.
http://plan.cancer.gov
NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) Increases Patient Access to Quality Cancer Care
NCI's mission is to fund and perform research, not to deliver care.
As a pilot, the program, which will cost $9 million over its 3-year span, is
intended to help answer some of the most pressing clinical cancer-related
issues, including one of the most serious problems - disparities in care.
http://www.cancer.gov
From NIH
NIH Funds Largest Long-Term Study of Health and Disease in Hispanic/Latino Populations
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and six other
components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced contracts
totaling $61 million over 6 ½ years to conduct the largest long-term
epidemiological study of health and disease in Latin American populations living
in the United States.
http://www.nih.gov
Fogarty International Center Funds 10 Awards for “Framework Programs”
The Fogarty International Center (FIC), in partnership with the National
Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NCMHD), all part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
announced 10 awards for its "Framework Programs in Global Health."
http://www.nih.gov
NIH in the Post-Doubling Era: Realities and Strategies
This has been a challenging year for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
and the biomedical research community. An extraordinarily tight federal budget
is eroding the growth of NIH at a time when opportunities for scientific
progress and advances in human health have never been greater.
http://www.sciencemag.org
Tools and Resources
Now Available! Women, Tobacco, and Cancer Portfolio Database
The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Women’s Health and the Tobacco
Control Research Branch (DCCPS, NCI) recently announced the availability of the
Women, Tobacco and
Cancer (WTC) Portfolio Database. This searchable database includes federally
and non-federally funded research projects, initiatives, and activities related
to women, tobacco and cancer, active between 2000 and 2004.
http://women.cancer.gov
Government Issues New Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys to Reflect Current Best Practices
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released new standards and
guidelines for statistical surveys sponsored by Federal agencies. The new
guidance provides government-wide uniformity in statistical methods and
practices to ensure the reliability and utility of data produced and updates the
standards to bring them in line with current professional practice. To view the
standards, visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
Breast Cancer Mortality Q&A Factsheet is Now Available Online
Factors Influencing Declines in Breast Cancer Mortality: Questions and
Answers
http://www.cancer.gov
Cancer News From the Field
NCI Grantee Spotlights
Lay Patient Navigator Program Implementation for Equal Access to Cancer Care and Clinical Trials
(Cancer, Volume 107, Issue 11 , Pages 2669 – 2677, Oct. 31, 2006)
Michael
Steinberg, M.D., et al. of the Urban Latino African American Cancer (ULAAC)
Disparities Project based at the Centinela-Freeman Regional Medical Center
(CFRMC), an NCI Cancer Disparities Research Partnership (CDRP) program site,
investigate lay patient navigator program implementation for equal access to
cancer care and clinical trials. Disparities in cancer detection, treatment, and
outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities and low-income patients are well
documented. One way to reduce these disparities is to use patient navigators to
address barriers to care. However, little information about optimal
characteristics of navigator programs or considerations for those interested in
setting up such programs is available.
See Full Article
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com
Asian Americans: Not Necessarily a Model-Minority for Health
Asians bear a heavy death burden for many cancers, not just colorectal. In
fact, Asians and Pacific Islanders are the only group in the U.S. for which
cancer is the leading cause of death, says professor Moon S. Chen, Ph.D.,
M.P.H., principal investigator of the Asian American Network for Cancer
Awareness, Research, & Training (AANCART), who is also associate director of
cancer disparities and research at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento,
California.
http://news.newamericamedia.org
Enhancing Practice: Focus on Cancer Disparities
African-American race is Associated with a Poorer Overall Survival Rate for Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Mastectomy and Doxorubicin-Based Chemotherapy
(Cancer, Vol. 107(11), 2662-2668, Oct. 23, 2006)
African-American (AA)
race has been associated with a worse outcome in breast cancer. It is unclear
whether this is due to biological factors, socioeconomic factors, or both. The
data suggest that AA race is associated with less favorable biological tumor
features, such as an increased likelihood of ER-negative disease, than those
found in Caucasian and Hispanic patients. Such differences in tumor biology, as
well as previously described socioeconomic factors, likely contribute to the
lower rate of survival in the AA breast cancer population.
See Full Article
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com
See Related Articles
African
American Race Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Survival Rates
Study
Finds Race Affects African-American Survival of Breast Cancer
Breast
Cancer War Focuses on Blacks
Breast Cancer
Worse for African-American Women
Breast
Cancer Killing More Black Women
Breast
Cancer's Disparity
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Postmenopausal Endogenous Hormones: The Multiethnic Cohort Study
(Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 15, 1849-1855, Oct.
2006)
In this Multiethnic Cohort Study, the highest incidence rates of
postmenopausal breast cancer were observed among Native Hawaiians followed by
Japanese Americans, Whites, African Americans, and Latinas. Ethnic differences
in endogenous sex hormone profiles may contribute to some of the variation in
breast cancer incidence.
See Full Article
See Related Articles
Women In
Some Racial Groups Prone to Developing Breast Cancer: Study
Breast
Cancer Risk Dependent Upon Ethnic Variations In Hormone Levels
Variations in the Health Conditions of 6 Chicago Community Areas: A Case for Local-Level Data
(American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96(8), Aug. 2006)
Black women
living in Chicago are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women in
the city, according to a study released by the Sinai Urban Health
Institute. The study examines local area variations in health and racial/ethnic
disparities between six Chicago communities and compared to Chicago.
See Full Article
See Related Articles
Breast
Cancer Deadlier for Blacks
Black
Women in Chicago More Likely To Die From Breast Cancer Than White Women, Study
Says
Delays in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment by Racial/Ethnic Group
(Arch Intern Med. Vol.166, 2244-2252, Nov. 13, 2006)
Timely initiation of treatment has been shown to improve survival, and may help to lessen the mortality differences among racial/ethnic groups.
See Full Article
Breast Cancer: What Science Knows, What Women Think
(Environment and Human Health, Inc, 2006)
The purpose of this project is to uncover the information gaps
among the various ethnic groups with respect to the risk factors and prevention
strategies for breast cancer and to propose strategies to fill those gaps. A
public armed with more complete information will provide women of all ethnic
backgrounds a better chance for improving their breast cancer outcomes.
See Full Article
See Related Article
Minorities Less Likely to Detect Cancer Early
Treatment of Elderly Breast Cancer Patients in a Community Hospital Setting
(Arch Surg. Vol.141(10), 985-990, Oct. 2006.)
The
purpose of this study was to determine whether elderly breast cancer
patients are underdiagnosed and undertreated in a community hospital
setting.
See Full Article
See Related Articles
Older
Women Shortchanged on Breast Cancer Treatment
Older
Women Not Getting Proper Breast Cancer Treatment
Enhancing Practice: General Focus on Health Disparities
Relationship Between Quality of Care and Racial Disparities in Medicare Health Plans
(JAMA, Vol. 296(16), 1998-2004, Oct. 25, 2006)
Overall quality of care and
racial disparities in quality are important and related problems in health care,
but their relationship has not been well studied. In the Medicare managed care
program, broad improvements in quality have been accompanied by reduced racial
gaps in processes of care, but substantial disparities in outcomes have
persisted.
See Full Article
See Related Articles
Studies
Look for Reasons Behind Racial Disparities in Health Care
Racial
Divide Found Across Health Plans
Adolescent Participation in Preventive Health Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: Differences Across Immigrant Generations for Asians and Latinos Compared With Whites
(AJPH, Vol. 97, No, 1, Jan. 2007)
Adolescents whose families emigrated
from Asia improve their health habits with every generation born in the United
States, more than their white and Latino peers, new research suggests.
See Full Article
See Related Article
Asian-American Teens More Likely Than Whites, Latinos to Learn Healthier Lifestyles
Issue of the Month: Health Literacy — A Quality and Patient Safety Imperative
Several prominent organizations have sought to define health literacy and
quantify the impact low literacy has on health care. Still, there is no clear
next step for those looking to intervene and affect health outcomes.
http://www.cmwf.org
Select Cancer Disparities News Stories
Cancer Screening Rates Lowest Among Mexican Immigrants
In 2000, Mexican immigrant women age 40 and over were the least likely to
have had a mammogram in the past two years. U.S.-born Mexican Americans were
more likely to have had a mammogram (66%), not far below the rate for U.S.-born
non-Hispanic whites (72%).
www.ucop.edu/cmhi/documents/healthpolicy.pdf
Breast Cancer Experts Urge Funding for Minority Screenings
The American Cancer Society is urging people to support legislation that
would boost funding for a program designed to reduce racial and ethnic
disparities among breast cancer patients in the United States.
http://www.4woman.org
Breast Cancer Seeming to Hit Younger Latinas
The trends for Hispanic women are alarming — showing they may be developing
breast cancer much earlier than expected, with those born in this country at
highest risk.
http://www.azstarnet.com
Patient Advocate Foundation’s Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR) Announces Financial Help for Malignant Brain Tumor Patients
Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is pleased to announce the expansion of
co-payment assistance funding for patients with malignant brain tumors. Patients and physicians can contact the PAF Co-Pay Assistance Program toll-free
at 1-866-512-3861 to initiate a request for assistance.
http://www.copays.org
Breast Cancer Linked to Growing up on Farm
Women farm workers were three times more likely to develop breast cancer than
the general female population, according to a study of Windsor-area breast
cancer patients published October 12, 2006.
http://www.canada.com
Select Minority Health and Disparities News Stories
Health Care Disconnect: Gaps in Coverage and Care for Minority Adults: Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2005)
Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2005)
finds that uninsured rates for Hispanic and African American adults are
one-and-a-half to three times greater than the rate for white adults.
http://www.cmwf.org
Helping Patients And Caregivers Communicate: Language Access in U.S. Hospitals
This event examines language barriers patients and providers face and
explores methods to improve communication in health care settings.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org
More Fears, But Blacks Will Do Research
African-Americans have more fears but nearly equal willingness to participate
in biomedical research as whites, finds a U.S. study.
http://www.upi.com
'Benchmark' Survey: 9 Percent of Doctors Use Complete Electronic Health Records
Only about 9 percent of doctors use comprehensive electronic health record
systems, according to a public–private study commissioned to establish a
benchmark to measure U.S. progress toward adoption of the technology. Dr. Ashish
K. Jha, an assistant professor of health policy at Harvard, said use of EHRs can
help eliminate disparities in access to quality care based on race and economic
factors.
http://www.cmwf.org
Do Hispanics Have Health Edge?
Puzzled researchers call it the "Hispanic Paradox." On average, U.S.
Hispanics lead longer lives than non-Hispanics, despite having less access to
healthcare and higher rates of poverty. Now, one of the most ambitious health
studies of Hispanics in America may help untangle the paradox.
http://www.miami.com
Kaisernetwork.org Launches News Summary Report on Disparities in Health
Kaisernetwork.org recently began publishing its latest online news summary
report, the Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look at Race, Ethnicity,
and Health. Subscribe by checking "NEW! Health Disparities Report (weekly only)"
at the link below.
http://profile.kff.org
Funding, Training, and Employment Opportunities
Disparities-Related Opportunities
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Health (PA-07-045)
Specifically, this PA invites applications for research on the social and
cultural dimensions of health in five areas (see link below). Any inquiries, contact Crystal Wolfrey - wolfreyc@mail.nih.gov.
Application
Submission/Receipt Dates: Standard dates apply
http://cri.nci.nih.gov
http://www.grants.nih.gov
Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R21)
The ultimate goal of this program announcement is to encourage empirical
research on health literacy concepts, theory and interventions as these relate
to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ public health priorities
that are outlined in its HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010
initiatives.
Application Submission/Receipt Dates:May 24, 2007; January
24, 2008; September 24, 2008; May 25, 2009; January 25, 2010
http://grants.nih.gov
Health Disparities Among Minority and Underserved Women (R01) (PA-07-154)
The purpose of this initiative is to stimulate research aimed at reducing health disparities among racial/ethnic minority and underserved women.
Application Submission/Receipt Dates: Standard dates apply
http://grants.nih.gov
2007 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award - Call for Applications
The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award supports exceptionally creative scientists
in a wide range of fields who propose highly innovative--and potentially
transformative--approaches to major challenges in biomedical research. In
September 2007, NIH expects to make 5 to 10 new Pioneer awards of $500,000 in
direct costs per year for 5 years. For more information, see the Pioneer Award
Web site at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer
or send questions to pioneer@nih.gov.
Application Receipt
Date: January 16, 2007
http://grants.nih.gov
Special Emphasis Notice: Research Priorities for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality--Research on Systems and Organizational Interventions for Improving Healthcare Quality for Low-income People served in Under-resourced Settings and Communities
In FY2007, AHRQ plans to emphasize in its grants portfolio research on
efforts to improve health care quality in under-resourced settings that
predominantly serve low-income persons.
http://grants.nih.gov
Training Opportunities
Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program for Underrepresented Students (R25, PAR-07-039)
Students eligible to participate in this program are those from groups
underrepresented in the biomedical science research arena of the nation
(underrepresented groups) and/or populations disproportionately affected by
health disparities (health disparities populations).
Application
Submission/Receipt Date(s): January 18, 2007, May 18, 2007
http://grants.nih.gov
Bridges to the Doctorate Program for Underrepresented Students (R25, PAR-07-040)
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to establish partnerships between
institutions granting a terminal Masters degree and Ph.D. degree granting
institutions to develop programs for Masters degree students with academic
potential from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research arena of the
country (underrepresented groups) and/or from populations disproportionately
affected by health disparities (health disparity populations).
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): January 18, 2007,
May 18, 2007
http://grants.nih.gov
Upcoming Meeting and Events
Bridging the Health Care Divide: Research and Programs to Eliminate Cancer Disparities
April 18-20, 2007
New Orleans Marriott Hotel
New Orleans, LA
This
ACS sponsored conference seeks to bring together researchers, community groups,
physicians, nurses, social workers, public health leaders, lay persons,
advocates, and policy makers to describe successful, sustainable models to
eliminate cancer disparities by bridging the health care divide.
http://www.cancer.org/cancerdisparities