Penn's CECCR II builds on the substantial success of CECCR I which focused on the role of public information in cancer-related decisions. The three major research projects have been fully realized as planned;we have provided pilot funding for 21 projects;published 47 papers;received 11 follow-on grants;'graduated'19 young investigators, post-docs and doctoral students who have gone on to new positions. We have built strong interdisciplinary working relationships between communication, behavioral science and cancer control scholars. Penn's CECCR II expands the CECCR I focus: its major theme is the interaction of public communication and clinical services as they both affect cancerrelated outcomes. We propose three major projects: Project One builds on our cohort of 2010 breast, prostate and colon cancer patients, adding Medicare claims information and a follow-up survey to assess the influences on and the health outcomes of patient-clinician communication up to three years post-diagnosis. Project Two will undertake an experiment with 300 chronic smokers studying the effects of advertisements designed to drive smokers to smoking cessation (and to cessation programs). Its major question is whether the all-too-common inclusion of smoking cues in those ads creates smoking urges that work against their success. Project Three focuses on the development of theory-based messages to encourage eligible people to ask their physicians for colorectal screening, and, once scheduled, to follow through and get the scheduled test. Based on the Integrative Model, the project has four phases: an elicitation study, a 2000 person survey, four message experiments with online samples, and a full field experiment with patients in the Penn Health System. A major innovation in CECCR II is the inclusion of a Message Design Core, a rapid and efficient message testing lab which brings cutting edge theory and methods to message development, The Training and Development Cores will be crucial to the Center's success, supporting young investigators, post-docs and doctoral students in substantial numbers as they build careers in cancer communication. A Translation to Practice Core linked to the Abramson Cancer Center magnifies opportunities for results to be adopted.
Penn's CECCR II is committed to building the nations's cancer communication agenda. Each of the major projects is specifically linked to clinical services and is intended to produce actionable recommendations. Translation to practice and to policy are built into the Center and its institutional links. Penn is also proud of the Center's history and promise in developing the next generaltion of cancer communication researchers
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