The Cooperative Extension Services for Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York propose to form a consortium with the purpose of developing and supporting community cancer control coalitions in the 69 counties designated as Appalachia. The Pennsylvania State University will be the lead institution. Cooperative Extension agents will have the primary responsibility for initiating and supporting community cancer control coalition activities. These agents are indigenous to the communities, are active in a wide range of community and education activities, and are already performing many of the coalition development functions required by this program. Cancer control activities are within the scope of their existing job descriptions and resources provided by this grant will enable them to focus and expand their efforts in this area. A full time project director will be assisted by a 3/4 time field coordinator in Pennsylvania and 1/2 time field coordinators in both Maryland and New York. These people will work as a team to combine the resources of Cooperative Extension with those of local, state, and national American Cancer Society organizations. Community cancer control programs require both lay and medical involvement. Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society will provide guidance in enlisting local medical organizations and professionals while the Cooperative Extension and the American Cancer Society will collaborate in enlisting and coordinating non-medical community groups. The combining of resources from Cooperative Extension with those of the American Cancer Society, the College of Medicine, and the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, will result in a significant increase in community-based cancer control activities throughout this region of Appalachia with a consequent impact on prevention and early detection behaviors of its citizens.
