Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State Territorial and Tribal Organizations - CIN

In a state where multiple public, private and volunteer efforts endeavor to respond, Kentucky’s need for an integrated and comprehensive approach to cancer prevention and control is greater than ever. The Kentucky Cancer Consortium (KCC) provides just such a forum, encouraging and catalyzing collaboration to help ensure the most efficient and effective utilization of cancer prevention and control resources. The KCC infrastructure acts as a catalyst for implementation of the Cancer Action Plan (CAP), which is a working document addressing four main areas along the cancer continuum: Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment and Care, and Quality of Life. KCC facilitates state level implementation through organizations and individuals who are part of KCC. Regional cancer control implementation is led through KCC’s close collaboration with the Kentucky Cancer Program, a regional comprehensive cancer control program established through state legislation. The highest burden cancers in Kentucky are lung and colorectal cancers, with the greatest health disparities seen among the rural Appalachian poor lacking a high school education. Therefore, priority outcomes for 2017-2022 will include reducing lung cancer mortality, reducing colorectal cancer mortality, increasing the self-reported health status of Kentucky’s cancer survivors and decreasing the overall percentage of those who report their health status as “fair or poor” in an effort to improve health equity for all Kentuckians. The Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) is highly integrated with the KCC. The Registry provides data to KCC that are used to develop, revise and evaluate the statewide Cancer Action Plan. Annually KCR also provides data to each of the states 15 KCP District Cancer Councils and the Councils use these data to target their limited resources toward those cancers that represent the greatest cancer burden of disease. In order to continue providing complete, accurate and timely data and to ensure that this data is used KCR will undertake a number of specific activities directed at four main goals: 1) Maintain complete case ascertainment of reportable cancers in the residents of Kentucky in a timely manner; 2) Maintain accurate and consistent information regarding the demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and survival status of cancer patients in the KCR; 3) Manage data electronically, perform electronic data submissions, and increase electronic reporting from non-hospital sources; 4) Promote the use of KCR data for cancer research and to improve cancer prevention and control.