Many women in Arkansas experience social, cultural, economic and psychological barriers to education and screening that are exacerbated by difficulty in reaching facilities for breast screening. The Arkansas Leadership Summit on Breast Cancer will address these problems by developing a motivational education program with the following specific aims: I) To convey information, resource opportunities and educational materials about breast cancer to community organizations and businesses; 2) To stimulate the participants to establish and encourage breast cancer education and screening programs; and 3) To encourage business and community organizations to develop innovative cooperative methods to provide more education and screening services to underserved areas of Arkansas, such as mobile vans and better use of existing transportation programs. The Arkansas Summit will be hosted in Little Rock, October 15, 1993, by the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI). Together, with an influential group of community and business leaders serving on an advisory committee, ACRC and CARTI plan to recruit 250 participants statewide. Members of community organizations and corporations from rural and urban areas of the state attending the one-day summit will learn about risks of breast cancer and benefits of early diagnosis. They will see exhibits, videos and presentations and attend workshops about current cancer programs that address breast cancer issues. Participants will receive resource information to help initiate programs in their community or workplace. A pre-summit survey will assess current practices and registrants will participate in pre- and post-tests to determine positive change in opinions and behaviors regarding breast cancer education and screening. The summit will communicate to participants the importance of establishing community and worksite programs to detect breast cancer, and motivate them to increase opportunities for the women of Arkansas.
