Specific Aims
Our focus is to identify cancer problems and then design/test ways to reduce the cancer burden by:
We also connect the community with OSUCCC – James investigators via quarterly meetings between program liaisons and community advisory boards, monthly meetings with program members and regular meetings with the Center for Community Outreach and Engagement.
Research
The COE team addresses research relevant to the cancer burden/disparities across all five OSUCCC research programs: Cancer Biology, Cancer Control, Leukemia Research, Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, and Translational Therapeutics.
We focus on the most prevalent cancers based on incidence and/or mortality — lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, leukemia, thyroid, uterine, pancreatic and ovarian — as well as risk factors like smoking, obesity and HPV (cervical and oral cancers).
One of our current research grants, Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Through Implementation Science in Appalachia, is a multi-site project through the CARE Program that aims to increase screening and follow-up for colorectal cancer (CRC) in central Appalachia, a medically underserved region recognized as one of three distinct hotspot for CRC mortality. There have been few randomized intervention trials addressing multiple levels of influence on CRC screening behaviors and outcomes in this region. To address this gap, investigators at the University of Kentucky and The Ohio State University will build on a 12-year collaborative history, strong relationships with Appalachian communities and health clinics, and extensive experience with community-based cancer prevention and control intervention research to develop, implement and evaluate a multilevel intervention (MLI) adapted from evidence-based interventions that include components targeting clinics and providers (in-reach) and the community (outreach) to increase CRC screening, follow-up and referral-to-care among patients age 50-74 in 12 counties in Appalachian KY and OH. The overall goals of this project are to contribute to the evidence-base for a MLI that increases rates of CRC screening, follow-up and referral-to-care, particularly in rural, medically underserved populations, and help showcase best practices for how MLIs can be scaled-up to reduce the burden of CRC in the U.S.
We have also helped facilitate research on a number of projects led by fellow OSUCCC researchers either through assisting with recruitment or by educating program members. Some examples include:
Impact of Germline Variants on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Somatic Mutation Frequency (PI: Amanda Toland, PhD)
Role of Oncogenic Phosphorylated MED1 in Aggressive Prostate Cancer (PI: Steven Clinton, MD, PhD)
Molecular Mechanisms of Cachexia in Lung Cancer (PI: Carlo Croce, MD)
Impact
The COE team is making a difference in our community by reducing the cancer burden in the following ways:
- 16 reports and monographs
- 629 events
- 27,000 people reached
- Navigation for 7,000 patients
- Increased HPV vaccination rate from 47% to 58% in Ohio
- 51% increase in enrollment into Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
- 250+ community partners
Additionally, we have long-established relationships with catchment area populations to address the cancer burden across the state of Ohio.
Future Directions
- Continue to monitor the cancer burden and reassess every three years
- Lead policy in HPV vaccination, tobacco control, patient navigation and access to treatment
- Expand outreach and research by adding new staff and including residents across the lifespan
- Focus on priority cancers (lung, prostate, breast, colon, etc.) by expanding research
Contact Us
Chasity Washington, MPH, CHES
Diversity Enhancement Program Director