Policy & Environmental Approaches & Community-Clinical Linkages in Cancer Program (NPCR Component)

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. The CAP serves as Kentucky’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Implementation Plan. KCC facilitates implementation through organizations and individuals who are part of KCC. One of the key organizations focused on implementing the CAP at the local/regional level is the Kentucky Cancer Program. KCC and KCP work collaboratively to ensure coordination of statewide and local/regional implementation. Since the highest burden of cancer in Kentucky includes lung and colorectal cancer, and our greatest health disparities are among those with less than a high school education, priority implementation areas for 2012-2016 will include reducing adult smoking, reducing adolescent smoking, increasing colorectal cancer screening among those who have not completed a high school education and developing a statewide patient navigation system to address the public health needs of cancer survivors. 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