The public health burden associated with cancer incidence and mortality is very great among American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and American Samoans. For certain cancer sites, some of these groups show incidence rates that lead the nation's race-specific figures. In addition, cancer survival data for many sites are poor among members of these Native groups, compared to US white data. Although the number of funded Native cancer control projects has increased in the past several years to address some of these disparities, no forum exists to synthesize and promote successful cancer control strategies throughout Native populations. We propose to conduct a conference on cancer epidemiology, cancer control, and cancer survival among Native populations in the US and in American Samoa. The goal of the September 2004 national conference: Changing cancer pattern in Native communities, is to evaluate progress in prevention of cancer in Native groups and in the early diagnosis, treatment, and survival of Native people diagnosed with cancer. The target audience of the conference will be researchers, clinicians, and other health service providers working with Native populations-- American Indians, Alaska Natives, American Samoans, and Native Hawaiians.
The specific aims are: 1. To provide a forum for researchers, clinicians, and service providers to present and discuss critical cancer issues for Native people; 2. To present updates on the unique problems of Natives in the prevention, early detection treatment, clinical trial participation, and cancer control; 3. To review on-going cancer research activities focusing on cancer in Natives, as well as to determine future research priorities for these populations; 4. To explore common cultural and socioeconomic barriers to access or utilization of prevention programs and/or services for early detection; 5. To identify key needs that could improve cancer prevention and control for Native people. 6. To publish selected papers presented at the conference so that this information can reach a wider audience. The proposed conference offers the opportunity to examine health education and prevention strategies, those risk factors which are prominent within Native people's cultures, and the relationship of those risk factors with the common cancer sites. The conference promises to further public health goals related to cancer in Native communities, and will build upon recent progress in cancer projects that have been implemented in the past three years.
