Annual Report to the Nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2008, featuring cancers associated with excess weight and lack of sufficient physical activity

Patient scenario identifies gaps in breast cancer services in a rural region

Studies have demonstrated that community-based cancer coalitions can effectively address cancer disparities in rural areas. Scenario plots have been used to assess community needs in health care and public health. The social and medical context of a woman with undetected breast cancer was developed as a patient scenario implemented at a rural cancer coalition meeting to rapidly identify gaps in services. Transportation, fragmentation of cancer care, access to insurance coverage, patient navigation, and survivorship services were identified as gaps in ensuring patient compliance across the continuum of breast cancer care throughout the region. Results will be used to shape coalition priorities.

Public figure announcements about cancer and opportunities for cancer communication: a review and research agenda

Announcements by public figures and celebrities about cancer diagnosis or death represent significant events in public life. But what are the substantive effects of such events, if any? The purpose of this article is to systematically review studies that examined the impact of public figure cancer announcements on cancer-oriented outcomes. Using comprehensive search procedures, we identified k = 19 studies that examined 11 distinct public figures. The most commonly studied public figures were Jade Goody, Kylie Minogue, Nancy Reagan, and Steve Jobs, with the most common cancers studied being breast (53%), cervical (21%), and pancreatic (21%) cancer. Most studies assessed multiple outcome variables, including behavioral outcomes (k = 15), media coverage (k = 10), information seeking (k = 8), cancer incidence (k = 3), and interpersonal communication (k = 2). Results fairly consistently indicated that cancer announcements from public figures had meaningful effects on many, if not most, of these outcome variables. While such events essentially act as naturally occurring interventions, the effects tend to be relatively short term. Gaps in this literature include few contemporary studies of high-profile public figures in the United States and a general lack of theory-based research. Directions for future research as well as implications for cancer communication and prevention are discussed.