The Prevent Cancer Dialogue convenes meetings, whether virtual or in-person, on cancer screening and prevention to:
- Keep the field of cancer screening and prevention stakeholders up to date on research, policy, practice and programs.
- Disseminate timely and cutting-edge evidence-based information.
- Provide energizing opportunities for networking.
Participants take the Dialogue back to their communities and workplaces with concrete ways to enhance or expand what they already do to promote prevention practices and appropriate screening.
The Prevent Cancer Dialogue has been implemented on these levels:
Annual National Conference
The Prevent Cancer Dialogue convenes a diverse group of stakeholders and provides a welcoming environment for the exchange of ideas, information and experiences, networking, brainstorming and thoughtful discussion of strategies for cancer prevention and early detection in all communities. Experts in the field give timely and enlightening presentations on trending topics and the Q&A sessions and peer-to-peer conversations provide productive dialogue among participants. Now in its 22nd year, the Dialogue started as laser-focused on colorectal cancer screening, and, over the years, it expanded to include cancer prevention and then to include also cervical, breast and lung cancer screenings. The Dialogue also covers issues related to early detection content related to other cancers, such as prostate, oral, ovarian and skin. The Dialogue currently reaches participants from 49 states, 3 territories and several other countries.
Dialogue for Action/Prevent Cancer Dialogue Colorectal Screening Projects in Indian Country
Since 2007, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has had the honor of working with American Indian/Alaska (AI/AN) groups to increase cancer screening, and most especially colorectal cancer screening. The Foundation first convened a Dialogue of 10 AI/AN teams in Portland, Oregon, to kick off year-long projects that they designed and planned to increase colorectal cancer screening in their respective communities. Each team received a grant of $10,000 from the Foundation. Team members included tribal council members and leaders, health directors, community workers, health care providers, tribal elders, CRC survivors and family members or representatives of state health departments. These projects were:
- Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board (now Great Plains)
- Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
- Black Hills Center for American Indian Health
- Cherokee Nation
- Ho-Chunk Nation
- Kaw Nation
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
- Michigan Intertribal Council
- Texas Gulf Coast American Indian Alaska Native Project
- Urban Indian Health Institute
The Foundation continues to work with colleagues on cancer prevention and early detection in Indian Country. Every year, the annual national Dialogue offers content relevant to Indian Country and convenes a peer-to-peer information-sharing meeting to keep everybody up-to-date on what’s happening in cancer screening and prevention in Indian Country.
State-Level Prevent Cancer Foundation Dialogue
From 2003 – 2008, The Prevent Cancer Dialogue was also active on the state level, thanks to funding from a five-year CDC cooperative agreement and also individual funding from some states. These year-long projects strengthened state-wide collaborations and partnerships, working within their state-level comprehensive cancer control plans to increase capacity for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in communities across their states — whether large or small, and rural or urban. Outcomes of the projects included statewide media campaigns, the establishment of a state-specific foundation to support CRC screening in underserved communities, dissemination of tools for office-reminder systems, support for CRC legislation and culturally appropriate educational materials
The states which convened Dialogues were:
- Arizona/New Mexico
- California
- Colorado
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
Regardless of size or shape, every Dialogue features a mix of state-of-the-art presentations and interactive, dynamic “conversations” among participants. The Dialogue equips participants with concrete tools and effective strategies for use in both clinical and public health settings. At any Dialogue, there likely is a mix of these participants:
- Primary Care Physicians (Internists, Family Physicians, Osteopaths)
- Medical Specialists (Obstetrician/Gynecologists, Gastroenterologists, Dermatologists, Surgeons, Radiologists)
- Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- Quality Team Members in Hospitals, Insurance Companies, etc.
- Advocates and Survivors
- Patient Navigators, Care Managers, Case Managers
- Social Workers
- Health Services Researchers
- Health Educators
- Health Agency Staff on Federal, State and County levels
- Staff of Non-Profit Health Organizations
- Third-Party Payers
