The main objective of the Kansas City Breast Cancer Education Summit is to motivate a wide array of community organizations and small businesses to establish breast cancer education and screening programs, in order to ensure that women have increased access to accurate information, regular breast cancer screening, and diagnostic follow-up for symptoms. The conference will target all women, but especially medically underserved/hard-to-reach populations: rural and elderly, as well as urban blacks and Hispanics. Our target geographic area will be the state of Kansas and western Missouri; we expect 400 attendees. Local and foundation funding for the conference, coupled with that requested of NCI, has been identified to help ensure a successful outcome. A multidisciplinary Executive Planning Committee will organize and direct the conference. It will include representatives from our Cancer Center's CIS, American Cancer Society, Kansas State Cooperative Extension Service, rural Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), community organizations with access to medically underserved rural populations, and the Silicon Prairie Technology Association representing 170 regional businesses and educational institutions. A Community Advisory Committee will provide input regarding channels to reach the target audience, distribute information about the conference and provide feedback to the Executive Planning Committee. Among its members will be representatives from local and state ACS chapters, community health and volunteer organizations, the black and Hispanic communities, public health departments, and regional businesses and industry. Conference topics were selected on the basis of interest inventories completed by a wide array of women. Conference general sessions will cover known and controversial risk factors associated with breast cancer (age, genetics, diet, hormones, lifestyle), diagnostic techniques and regional educational/service resources, using lecture, panel discussion, audience participation and videotape formats. workshops will focus on worksite screening, successful educational programs for community organizations, hospital-based mobile mammography, rural health issues, CIS, risk assessment, and legislative and insurance issues. Videotapes of the conference and teaching guides will be widely distributed to ensure that accessibility to the information presented will extend well beyond the 400 expected attendees. Evaluation of outcomes will include a 6-week and 6-month follow-up to assess long-term gain in knowledge and change in behaviors/activities.
