The overall goal of the Preventive Oncology Academic Award is to become a fully independent investigator in cancer prevention and control research. To accomplish this goal, a specific research study is proposed within a large community-based cancer screening program called the Pittsburgh Cancer Screening Program. The Program's primary goals are to establish breast and cervical cancer screening in multi-institutional settings within the City of Pittsburgh and to develop a regional smoking cessation training center. Over the period of the Preventive Oncology Academic Award, five areas relating to cancer control research will be evaluated: developing methods to promote program recruitment and compliance; determining the feasibility of developing radiographic and radiation monitoring quality control program; evaluating the impact of community Professional Education Programs; developing a comprehensive system for long- term follow-up of screening participants; and evaluating the feasibility of incorporating a smoking cessation program into the overall screening program. The specific research study being proposed addresses interventions to enhance compliance to screening mammography recommendations. Screening mammography has been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality by more than 30%. Unfortunately, this technique is under utilized by American women. Research which evaluates methods to promote increased utilization of mammography screening can have a major impact on reducing breast cancer mortality.
