Rural Cancer Prevention Center: Core Project 3

The Rural Cancer Prevention Center unites community members, health care professionals, and public health practitioners/researchers in mutual efforts to design and improve primary and secondary prevention programs relative to cancer in Southeastern KY. The mission is to reduce cancer incidence and mortality rates, and associated morbidity, among under-served rural residents of southeastern Kentucky (with a specific focus on the primary prevention of cervical cancer in 2009 through 2014). Through collaborations with the community, state and local health agencies and the standing Community Advisory Board, the RCPC will bridge the gap between researchers and rural practitioners to develop and implement effective community-based strategies. These strategies will be designed to foster the primary and/or secondary prevention of leading invasive cancers in this region of Appalachia (lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer). To achieve this end the RCPC has five aims: 1. To provide infrastructure and administrative services that support cancer prevention activities (service and research) in the KR-ADD. 2. To actively engage the community in partnerships designed to achieve improvements in current cancer prevention activities as well as partnerships designed to develop new cancer prevention activities. 3. To provide an efficient and effective communications network that ties all cancer prevention activities together, both within the KR-ADD and between the KR-ADD and other parts of Kentucky. This network will also include systems for effective health communications disseminated to the public. 4. To provide training and technical support to state and local agencies dedicated to various aspects of service relevant to cancer prevention in this under-served region of Kentucky. 5. To evaluate (process and outcome) all planned activities related to aims 1 through 4.