CANCER DISPARITIES NEWS DIGEST (12.20.07)
Happy Holidays from CRCHD!
As 2007 comes to a close, CRCHD thanks you for your dedication and service to overcoming cancer health disparities. Wishing you a peaceful, prosperous and joyful 2008! With all of us working together - conscious of the obligations we bear to each other and to the science - we can make this a constructive year that moves us closer to reducing the burden of cancer for all people.
CRCHD Announcements
Health Scientist Administrator Position in Diversity Training
CRCHD is seeking a talented, knowledgeable, and motivated individual to serve as chief of the Diversity Training Branch. The successful candidate will lead NCI's efforts in the training of the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research. Open Period: Thursday, November 29, 2007 to Thursday, December 27, 2007
-
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov
GMaP and Emerging Technology Partnership Meetings in Sacramento, CA
As part of new CRCHD initiatives, Center staff recently convened two hugely successful back-to-back meetings with NCI-funded health disparities grantees in Sacramento, CA. The initiatives aim to develop a collaborative, regional approach to addressing cancer disparities and increase the diversity of scientists with training in advanced and emerging technologies. Planning is now well underway to develop a Sacramento-based hub for cancer disparities excellence and a partnership program in advanced and emerging technologies.
For more information, please contact CRCHD at (301) 496-8589.
In Memory of Dr. Duane E. Johnson
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of one of our grantees, Dr. Duane E. Johnson, of the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Johnson was a valiant warrior in addressing health disparities, and will be missed. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
http://www.uml.edu
Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference held on November 26-30 in Atlanta, GA
This historic conference, jointly sponsored by NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), highlighted new research in the areas of basic, clinical and population-based research and training in cancer disparities. See Select Disparities News Stories for related articles.
Coming Soon! SCLD Update on Cancer Health Disparities
A forthcoming issue of the NCI State Cancer Legislative Database's (SCLD) SCLD Update will mark the inaugural coverage of selected cancer health disparities topics.
Cancer News from NCI, NIH, and other Federal Agencies
From NCI
Cancer Institute Updates Risk Calculator
This interactive tool designed by scientists at the NCI and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NBSABP), the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool will soon be updated with new, more accurate risk information for African American/Black women.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/
See Full Article
- http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org
See Related Articles
- More Accurate Method of Estimating Breast Cancer Risk in African American Women Developed
- Breast Cancer Risk Underestimated for Blacks, Study Says
- New Breast Cancer Risk Calculator for Blacks
NCI Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources Public Forum
On November 5th, 2007, the NCI hosted a forum in Boston, MA to support the recently published "NCI Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources." Presentations from this forum are now available.
http://www.nci-bestpractices-forum.comCells To Society: Overcoming Health Disparities
The Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities (CPHHD) have demonstrated the ability to catalyze transdisciplinary research to improve the understanding of complex interactions of biological, social, cultural, environmental, and behavioral factors that contribute to health disparities, with a particular emphasis on cancer-related disparities.
http://dccps.nci.nih.gov
From NIH
HRSA Introduces Training Tool to Improve Provider-Patient Communication
HRSA has launched a new Web-based health communications training tool designed to improve interaction between health care providers and their patients.
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov
Other Federal Agencies
Documentary on Childhood Cancer Wins Award
A Lion in the House, a documentary offering an unprecedented look at the cancer journey of five young people and their families, wins a 2007 Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
http://www.cdc.govCDC Launches Redesigned Spanish Web Site "CDC en Español"
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Spanish-language Web site, CDC en Español, has been re-launched with a new look and new features that will make it more usable and functional.
http://www.cdc.govCancer News From the Field
NCI Grantee Spotlights
Dr. Jessie Satia recently promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Jessie A. Satia was recently promoted to Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, School of Public Health (SPH), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://crchd.cancer.gov/news/grantee-spotlights.htmlDr. Elisa Tong Honored for Using Tobacco-Industry Documents to Educate the Public
Dr. Elisa Tong, an assistant professor of internal medicine at UC Davis and pilot study leader for the NCI Community Networks Program's Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research & Training (AANCART), has been honored for her work in using tobacco industry documents to improve public awareness about the marketing practices and issues surrounding the nation's use of tobacco.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.eduAddressing Disparities in Tobacco Related Diseases through Community and Academic Partnerships
Dr. Claudia Baquet, principal investigator for the NCI Community Networks Program's Maryland Regional Community Network (MRCN) Program to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities, gave a recent WALS lecture, "Addressing Disparities in Tobacco Related Diseases through Community and Academic Partnerships", which emphasized a collaborative and comprehensive program focused on tobacco related disparities research and translation.
http://videocast.nih.govPatient Navigators Tailor Interventions in Minority, Low-Income Populations
Dr. David Khan and colleagues from the NCI's Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program's Urban Latino African American Cancer (ULAAC) Disparities Project have developed a program tailored to low-income populations using the continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach.
http://www.cancer.govSee Related Articles
- Patient Navigators Help Minority, Low-income Cancer Patients Get Life-saving Treatments
Health Disparities across the Cancer Continuum
(Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Vol. 18, No. 4, Nov. 2007)
This special issue features research from two NCI-sponsored training activities held in 2006 and showcases contributions made by minority scientists and health disparities researchers in the areas of tobacco, cancer screening, breast and prostate cancer, health risks and communication, research methodology, and organizational collaboration.
http://muse.jhu.edu
Enhancing Practice
Access to Specialty Care and Medical Services in Community Health Centers (CHCs)
(Health Affairs, September/October 2007)
A new study evaluates access to specialty health services for patients receiving care in CHCs, using a survey of medical directors of all federally qualified CHCs in the United States in 2004.
http://content.healthaffairs.orgFactors Influencing Cancer Screening Practices of Underserved Women
(Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, November 2007)
This integrated review assesses factors that inhibit or promote decisions by African American and Hispanic women to obtain cervical cancer screening.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.comDevelopment of an Integrated Approach to Cancer Disparities: One Cancer Center's Experience
(Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention, November 2007)
The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) has restructured flexible resources to provide an integrated structure within the cancer center related to disparities, and to create incentives for investigators to refocus on disparities.
http://cebp.aacrjournals.orgCancer Death Rates for Older Asian-Americans: Classification by Race versus Ethnicity
(Cancer Causes and Control, November 9, 2007)
This study uses a unique data file to determine site-specific cancer death rates for persons aged 65 and older in six Asian-American ethnic subgroups (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese) and determines for which cancer sites the aggregate Asian-American race category is a misleading summary of subgroup cancer risk.
http://www.springerlink.comBarriers to Recruiting Underrepresented Populations to Cancer Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review
(Cancer, November 15, 2007)
This systematic review of barriers to participation of underrepresented populations in controlled trials of cancer investigates whether these barriers vary by sociodemographic factors, cultural factors, or both.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.comRacial Differences in Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices and Knowledge within a Low-Income Population
(Cancer, November 26, 2007)
This study examines racial differences in practices, knowledge, and barriers related to CRC screening within a low-income population of women.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/Racial differences in pain during 1 year among women with metastatic breast cancer
(Cancer, November 26, 2007)
A new study finds significant racial differences in the risk of pain related to metastatic breast cancer.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.comSee Related Articles
- Non-White Women More Prone to Breast Cancer Pain
- Minority Women More Likely Than White Women to Have Pain Related to Certain Type of Breast Cancer, Study Finds
- Non-Caucasians at Higher Risk for Severe Metastatic Breast Cancer Pain
Select Cancer Disparities News Stories
Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference held on November 26-30 in Atlanta, GA
See highlighted new research in the areas of basic, clinical and population-based research and training in cancer disparities.
- The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved
- Differences in Breast Cancer Treatment
- Genetic and Behavioral Differences Add to Prostate Cancer Disparities
- New Perspectives on Health Disparities in Breast Cancer Research
- It takes a Community to Address Cancer Disparities among Underserved Minority Populations
- Racial Differences Likely In Cancer Risks
- Studies Reveal Why Breast Cancer Hits Black Women Harder
- Cancer Education Not Reaching Tribe
Language Gaps Hinder Doctor-Patient Relationships
People who are insured but speak little or no English often experience embarrassment, stress and confusion. State regulations aim to help.
http://www.latimes.comGuiding Patients through the Health Care Maze: Menendez Patient Navigator Program Gains Funding in Senate
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has successfully secured $8 million in initial funding for a program he established to guide patients through the health care system.
http://menendez.senate.govSee Related Articles
- Patients, Doctors Sold on Value of Similar Navigator Programs
- Navigator Leads Patient in Cancer Fight
Program Helps Black Women Get Mammograms
A new program has drastically increased the number of African-American women in southeast Michigan who get tested for breast cancer.
http://www.detnews.comAfrican-American Men Face Disadvantages versus Caucasian Men in Prostate Cancer Survival
Obesity and diabetes might mask the onset of prostate cancer in African American men, making it difficult to detect early-stage and treatable prostate cancer in a population of men already prone to aggressive cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com
Funding, Training, and Employment Opportunities
Disparities-Related Funding Opportunities
NIH Partners in Research Program (R03)
The purpose of this request for information is to seek input from the scientific community, health professionals, patient advocates, industry, and the general public about medical technologies that can lead to a reduction in disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes.
Centers of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research II (CECCR II) (P50)
The CECCR Program promotes interdisciplinary research in the area of cancer communication with the purpose of contributing directly to positive health outcomes and quality of life for individuals.
- RFA-CA-08-004
Limited Competition: AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) (U01)
The National Cancer Institute requests limited competition applications from the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource's (ACSR's) East Coast, Mid-Region, and West Coast Biospecimen Repositories, and the Central Operations and Data Coordinating Center (CODCC) for the continued support of the collection, storage, and provision of HIV-related human tumor tissue with associated clinical, pathological, diagnostic, and demographic data.
Training and Employment Opportunities
Biology Department Chair Position at Howard University
The Department of Biology at Howard University is seeking candidates for the position of chair of the department. Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree in a biological science accompanied by significant record of teaching experience, research productivity, and grants acquisition.
http://sciences.academickeys.comKellogg Health Scholars Program
The Kellogg Health Scholars Program seeks to develop new leadership in the effort to reduce and eliminate health disparities and to secure equal access to the conditions and services essential for achieving healthy communities.
http://www.kellogghealthscholars.org/Faculty Position in Cancer Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health seeks candidates for a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Cancer Health Disparities Research Program.
http://faculty.jhsph.edu
Upcoming Meetings and Events
11th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved & Cancer
April 3-6, 2008
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC
Abstract Submission Deadline was November 15, 2007
http://iccnetwork.org/symposium/AACR Annual Meeting
April 12-16, 2008
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
http://www.aacr.org/meetingcalendarCancer, Culture & Literacy: 6th Biennial Conference
May 15-17, 2008
Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Clearwater Beach, FL
Abstract Submission Deadline: February 18, 2008
http://www.moffitt.orgThird Annual Texas Conference of Health Disparities
May 29-31, 2008
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, Texas
Abstract Submission Deadline: April 15, 2008
http://www.hsc.unt.eduNational Latino Cancer Summit
July 30- Aug 1, 2008
Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF
San Francisco, CA
https://register03.exgenex.com
- Patient Navigators Help Minority, Low-income Cancer Patients Get Life-saving Treatments