NDCC - Get Involved

• Promote cancer screening among clients.
• Provide cancer awareness information to constituents.
• Encourage participation in clinical trials for cancer treatment.

• Promote a well workplace including walking breaks and healthy eating guidelines.
• Collaborate with hospitals and clinics to host cancer screening events.
• Provide health insurance coverage that includes cancer screening.

• Learn how to provide healthy potluck and meeting meals.
• Encourage members to get cancer screening tests on time.
• Open your building for walking clubs in the winter.

• Provide cancer awareness information and data to citizens and groups.
• Work with physicians to promote cancer screening programs and case reporting.
• Ensure access to care for the uninsured and underinsured.

• Include cancer prevention messages in curriculum.
• Establish and enforce a tobacco-free campus policy.
• Encourage students to pursue cancer-related careers.

• Ensure that your cancer cases are reported in a timely matter.
• Provide meeting space for cancer support groups.
• Collaborate to sponsor community cancer screening and education programs.

• Ensure that patients get appropriate cancer screening tests.
• Refer patients to smoking cessation resources, nutrition, and physical activity programs.
• Find out how to enroll patients in clinical trials.

• Include clinical trials information in meeting agendas.
• Form speakers' bureaus to provide cancer education.
• Train facilitators for cancer survivor support groups.

• Support tobacco-free environments.
• Increase your daily physical activity and eat more fruits and vegetables.
• If diagnosed, consider enrolling in a clinical trial.
• Become a member and be active in the North Dakota Cancer Coalition.

Why is it important?

Each year in the U.S., over 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,000 women will die. Half of all cervical cancers occur in women who have never had a Pap test. Cervical cancer is highly curable when found early. 

Almost all cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccines can prevent two known cervical cancer-causing strains of HPV when administered before exposure. The HPV vaccines can prevent 70% of cervical cancers. Each year in the U.S., there are an estimated new 33,000 cases of HPV-associated cancers each year.

The HPV Workgroup also functions as the task force for the North Dakota Immunization Program.

HPV Priorities

1. Increase HPV immunization rates in North Dakota
2. Develop educational materials for parents, providers, and teens
3. Assist in increasing immunization rates by providing subcontract guidance
4. Review materials developed by other programs for statewide distribution
5. Facilitate partnerships for improving HPV vaccination and prevention education

2016-2017 Workgroup Activities

• Develop Oral Cancer Awareness Month Social Media Toolkit
• Partnered with the ND Dental Association to provide education to dental health professionals about HPV-associated cancer
• Updated materials with the new vaccine schedule
• Provided education for medical professionals regarding screening guidelines
• Identifying champions in health systems to increase understanding of vaccine needs and safety
• Presented in conjunction with American Cancer Society and Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board in 3-part web series for healthcare providers
• Members presented about the current strategies and technology use in North Dakota, including implementing school-based HPV clinics on multiple national presentations.

Contact for Workgroup Liaison:

Molly Howell

Email: mahowell@nd.gov

Screening and Early Detection

Why is it important? 

Screening refers to tests and exams used to find a disease, such as cancer, in people who do not have symptoms. Early detection of cancer increases the chance of survivorship and reduces mortality and the impact of cancer in North Dakota.

There are many barriers to cancer screening for North Dakotans. These barriers can be grouped into four major areas:

1. Financial and insurance restrictions
2. Limited provider knowledge and referral
3. Lack of consumer awareness
4. System inadequacies

These factors all contribute to low screening rates among special populations and the need to change the approach to cancer screening and early detection in North Dakota.

Screening and Early Detection Priorities

1. Promote cancer screening education using a multi-component approach, including small media and one-to-one education
2. Promote informed and/or shared decision-making based on personal and family history, by age-appropriate women and healthcare providers
3. Support healthcare provider education about the importance of obtaining detailed personal and family history identifying risk factors (inherited predisposition for cancer) that can initiate appropriate cancer screening
4. Support ongoing referral to Medicaid Expansion and marketplace insurance programs for screening

2016-2017 Workgroup Activities

• Implement a campaign to promote the 80% by 2018 national initiative. Provided education for healthcare providers and promoted implementation of ACS toolkits and other resources to increase colorectal cancer screening rates
• Facilitate the #TurnNDBlue Photo contest for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• Continue promoting breast and cervical cancer screening with informed and shared decision-making
• Developed and implemented social media campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including a social media toolkit used by partners statewide

Workgroup Lead: Shannon Bacon shannon.bacon@cancer.org

Why is it important? 

Treatment

Several factors affect cancer treatment and care in North Dakota. Issues include, but are not limited to:

• Limited access to quality cancer care
• Limited patient and provider knowledge
• Insufficient patient-provider communication
• Limited insurance coverage

Survivorship

Improvements in the early detection and treatment of cancer have led to more people living longer after being diagnosed with the disease. A cancer diagnosis remains a life-changing event for individuals and their family members, friends, and caregivers. People who have been diagnosed with cancer face a host of short-and long-term issues affecting their quality of life. There are still many areas to improve when it comes to increasing knowledge about survivorship needs, resources, and services available to North Dakotans.

Treatment and Survivorship Priorities

1. Support and engage communities and those with health disparities in identifying and solving access to care issues
2. Support education for cancer patients, their families, and the general public about cancer survivorship plans, the importance of the plan, and how to access templates on reliable websites
3. Facilitate the exchange of information, utilizing survivorship care plans, among all healthcare professionals involved in the care of cancer survivors
4. Support implementation of Commission on Cancer Survivorship requirements

2016-2017 Workgroup Activities

• Assist with the development of the cancer patient survey focused on cancer patient treatment survivorship needs conducted in odd years. The survey functions as a Commission on Cancer requirement for Cancer Centers and provides valuable feedback to improve and implement survivorship services based on the patient population
• Review of the treatment survivorship chapters in the North Dakota State Cancer Plan and provide recommendations for revisions to the chapters
• Supported the work by the Comprehensive Cancer Control staff addressing access to cancer care for North Dakota American Indians
• Support the development of a Palliative Care Taskforce to assess needs and opportunities
• Develop and implement an education plan for primary care providers to utilize survivorship care plans with patients post-treatment
• Continue participation in the development and implementation of the action plan focused on the cancer care needs of North Dakota American Indians
• Continue work on the revision of the treatment and survivorship chapters of the state cancer plan

Contact for Workgroup Liaison: Janna Pastir jlpastir@nd.gov

Purpose

The Data/Evaluation Committee monitors North Dakota Cancer Coalition operations and progresses toward meeting the objectives of North Dakota's Cancer Control Plan. Responsibilities also include ensuring the overall quality and usefulness of evaluation data obtained, and reporting results to the Steering Committee, its partners and funding agencies.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Assess coalition and workgroup engagement
2. Assess resources and materials developed or shared by workgroups
3. Advise the Steering Committee regarding needed evaluation resources

Contact for Workgroup Liaison: Jesse Tran, Program Evaluator jtran@nd.gov or (701) 328-2419