Turning the Page on Breast Cancer (TPBC), led by Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH, and Heather Hampel, MS, LGC, is a statewide cancer research initiative focused on addressing the high death rates from breast cancer among African American women in Ohio. The program was launched with funding support from Pelotonia, the American Cancer Society and Pfizer, and is a collaborative effort of experts from the OSUCCC – James, the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, Susan G. Komen and the North Central Region of the American Cancer Society.
The OSUCCC – James-led collaborative team will use a multilevel approach in 12 Ohio counties to provide breast cancer education and facilitate access to risk assessment, genetic counseling and testing, appropriate screening/surveillance, follow-up for abnormal tests, and prompt and appropriate treatment for Black women.
Researchers will use geographic predictors of aggressive disease to identify and inform women who live in high-risk counties, including Franklin, Fairfield, Clark, Butler, Hamilton, Lake, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Trumbull, Summit, Stark and Mahoning.
Interested candidates will be directed to a website where they can enter information about themselves and their family history of cancer to determine if they are at increased risk for breast cancer. High-risk women will be referred to genetic counseling, where they can receive a tailored risk assessment and genetic testing when appropriate. Women will then receive a personal prescription for breast health and be connected to experts who can help them navigate next steps.
All participating women will receive information about when to start breast cancer screening and what that screening should entail based on their risk stratification. Women will then be connected to local breast health specialists for their screening and follow-up. Efforts will be made at local health centers to ensure that women seen in those medical clinics have up-to-date screening and that women with abnormal screening tests receive proper and timely follow-up.
More Information
To learn more about the breast cancer initiative, visit endbreastcancerohio.org.