What CDC Is Doing About Health Disparities in Cancer

CDC provides funding and technical assistance to help states, tribes/tribal organizations, and territories collect data on cancer incidence and death, cancer risk factors, and the use of cancer screening tests. Public health professionals use the data to identify and track cancer trends, strengthen cancer prevention and control activities, and prioritize the use of resources.

CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). By documenting new cancer cases within each state, the NPCR identifies minority groups that experience health disparities in cancer and aids in state cancer planning.

CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). The NBCCEDP provides breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment to low-income, medically underserved, and uninsured women (emphasizing recruitment of minority women) through states, tribes, and territories.

CDC's National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). The NCCCP provides seed money, structure, and support for developing and implementing Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) plans in all 50 states, and in several tribes and U.S. Associated Pacific Islands and territories. CCC is a collaborative process through which a community pools resources to reduce the burden of cancer that results in risk reduction, early detection, better treatment, and enhanced survivorship.

CDC's Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program. The program, underway in five pilot areas around the nation, is aimed at increasing colorectal cancer screening among low-income adults aged 50 and over who have little or no health insurance coverage for regular screenings.

CDC's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010 (REACH 2010). This program is a cornerstone of CDC's efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. Launched in 1999, REACH 2010 is designed to eliminate disparities in six priority areas in which racial and ethnic minorities experience serious disparities in health access and outcomes.

Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). The CPCRN was established under the CDC-funded Prevention Research Center program to support academic and community partnerships for cancer prevention and control intervention and dissemination research. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based cancer prevention and control in communities through advancing the science of cancer prevention and control and influencing public health and primary care practice. In particular, it is engaged in enhancing large-scale efforts to reach underserved populations and reduce their burden of cancer.