Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., February 3, 2022 – Researchers continue to study ways to help prevent cancer, such as changes in diet, lifestyle, avoiding or controlling things known to cause the disease and finding precancerous conditions early. One of the primary modes of cancer prevention and early detection in the United States is the widespread practice of screening. However, not all individuals have access to quality cancer screenings or cancer education, which creates significant disparities in cancer outcomes. Shawna V. Hudson, PhD, member of the Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and chief of the Research Division and Henry Rutgers Chair of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School shares more on this topic.
Why is Screening and Education Important for Cancer Prevention?
Promoting awareness around early detection and broadening access to preventive measures like cancer screenings for diseases such as colorectal, breast, cervical and lung cancers can not only help to detect cancer in the earliest stages when it’s most treatable, they can also help prevent certain cancers.
Understanding Barriers to Prevention
According to the American Cancer Society, Black and other racial and ethnic minority groups, low income, underinsured, or uninsured individuals as well as those living in rural areas, often face greater obstacles when it comes to preventing cancer as well as accessing cancer education. These differences are called health disparities.
Disparities around cancer screening can have a negative impact on a person’s health and a community’s well-being. Some people do not have access to the health history of their parents or siblings and this may mean that screening starts later than is recommended for someone with a relative who has had cancer. In other instances, lack of transportation, language barriers, child care or work commitments make it difficult to get to or schedule a screening. Cost of screening or lack of information on screening options are additional barriers to cancer screening.
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is Taking Action
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey supports equal access to cancer prevention and treatment services through research, community outreach and training. The Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence is a formal partnership between the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which serves as catalyst for training and education, research, community engagement, and public policy advocacy surrounding cancer health equity in one of the nation’s most ethnically and racially diverse states.
Several initiatives are currently underway by members of the Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence to advance the achievement of equitable access, improved health care quality, and better outcomes across the cancer through research, education and training, community engagement and outreach, and public policy advocacy. For example, the center provides leadership for ScreenNJ, an initiative focused on addressing barriers to optimal use of colorectal and lung cancer preventive screening for patients with elevated medical and social risks throughout New Jersey. Members also have implemented programs such as the Youth Enjoy Science (RUYES) Program for Underrepresented Youth and Educators, which seeks to increase diversity of the biomedical and cancer research workforce in order to reduce cancer disparities in both New Jersey and across the United States.
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