The Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene proposes to develop a Statewide Cancer Control Plan by analyzing existing data sources in Maryland relate to cancer and by convening and utilizing experts in cancer prevention and control to assist in interpreting the data, in making recommendations for cancer control interventions and in evaluating resultant cancer control programs. The priority areas for cancer control which will be addressed include: cessation and prevention of tobacco use, cervical cancer detection and breast cancer detection. Data sources to be used will include the Maryland Cancer Registry, vital Statistics, hospital discharge data from the Health Services Cost Review Commission, the behavioral risk factor telephone, survey, the household hypertension survey and cancer data collected by studies by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. Workgroups in each of the priority areas will be formed, composed of experts from the two medical universities. These workgroups will analyze the data and make recommendations for interventions. From these workgroups, a Statewide Cancer Plan will be developed. These experts will also give workshops on each of the priority areas for state health department personnel in order to build state capacity to plan for cancer control. A consortium of cancer control advocates, such as the Cancer Information Center, Cancer Centers, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Maryland's Healthy Majority (smoking lobby and the state medical society will be brought together in the developmental stages of each intervention. Various legislative initiatives will be undertaken, with support of this consortium and state legislators who have supported health legislation in the past, to present the findings of the plan and request support for cancer interventions. Evaluation of the interventions will be conducted using process and outcome measures.
