Since 2002, the age-adjusted cancer death rate in Massachusetts has declined by more than 25% (from 200/100,000 in 2002 to 149/100,000 in 2017). In spite of this progress, cancer remains the leading cause of death in Massachusetts overall and in almost all age groups. The programs described in this proposal will work to address the burden of cancer by working collaboratively as well as working with a multitude of stakeholders to assure collective impact in addressing the inequities that continue to impact people of color most significantly.
Program 1: Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. The Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (MBCCP) will build a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach to address the inequities in care in specific populations in the Commonwealth. This approach includes assuring strong community-clinical linkages to engage and refer women to services, the development of internal and external collaborations to expand the reach of the program and to reduce structural barriers to identify those who are uninsured and underinsured and are in need of payment for services. MBCCP will work to expand its equity-centered, best-practice approaches into more health systems by working collaboratively with the MA Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP), the MA Cancer Registry (MCR), The Massachusetts Office of Community Health Workers and other chronic disease prevention programs at the Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Primary Care Association to reach, enroll, and serve more women in the state in continued efforts to close the gap in breast and cervical cancer inequities in Massachusetts.
Program 2: Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. The Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP), will work to reduce the prevalence of preventable cancers in Massachusetts by collaborating with chronic disease and other programs to implement evidence-based policy, systems and environmental change interventions resulting in healthier communities to decrease cancer-related risk factors. Essential to this approach is the continued expansion of the statewide Cancer Coalition and using a data-driven approach. MCCCP will leverage resources to plan and implement evidence-based strategies to promote the primary prevention of cancer, support secondary cancer prevention efforts, address the needs of cancer survivors, and promote health equity across the cancer continuum. In the coming 5 years, through more coordinated multi-sectoral partnerships, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP) will continue the work of closing the gaps that have long persisted in cancer outcomes in Massachusetts.
Program 3: Massachusetts Cancer Registry. The MCR will focus on the collection of complete, timely, and quality data to monitor the burden of cancer in the Massachusetts population and to help target cancer prevention and control activities to those at highest risk to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. The MCR will work collaboratively with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Coalition (MCCC), MA Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP), the Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (MBCCP), Massachusetts Colorectal Cancer Control Program (MA CRCCP), and other Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) programs and local communities to provide data to identify populations at increased risk of cancer and respective health disparities, monitor cancer trends and evaluate intervention programs.