CPCRN WORKGROUP & INTEREST GROUP PROJECTS

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors face unique challenges in the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of cancer which translates into higher morbidity and mortality. These challenges include unique concerns regarding late/long-term effects and higher prevalence of certain cancer types. Our experience (and I think supported by literature) is that it is challenging to capture long-term follow up on the AYA population due to mobility/competing life demands. This creates challenges for doing studies and building an evidence base. There are newer therapies for which we don’t yet understand the full range of late/long-term toxicities. The CPCRN has demonstrated interest in cancer survivorship, with AYA being a subset and representing a small(er) proportion of cancer survivors. Having multiple sites increases power for any intervention, and we would be able to focus in on specific questions (e.g. cardiotoxicity, reproductive late effects, psychosocial). Project ideas include:

• Gathering data on preferences/strategies for contact/follow up/recruitment in this population;
• Observational studies or secondary database analysis to describe late/long-term effects of newer therapies (biologics), late/long-term effects for potentially understudied, and strategies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity.

For more information about the AYA Cancer Interest Group, please contact Project Chair, Dr. Linda Overholser (linda.overholser@cuanschutz.edu).

Initially conceptualized at the 2021 CPCRN Annual Meeting, the Social Deprivation Interest Group was proposed and formally established following a discussion about how an equity lens in cancer prevention and control research requires a deep understanding of the multilevel social determinants of cancer outcomes. The Interest Group is particularly interested in exploring the following determinants: influence of neighborhood deprivation on individuals’ preventive behaviors; access to healthcare services; competing demands; and cumulative psychosocial stressors, among others.

For more information about the Social Deprivation Interest Group, please contact Project Director, Julie Kranick (julie.kranick@nyulangone.org).

The CPCRN Coordinating Center has received a funding supplement from the CDC to provide technical assistance (TA) to the CDC-funded National Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs (NCCCP). The focus of the TA will be on the scale-up of three successful pilot projects to additional programs. The pilot projects include:

• Using Project ECHO and Patient Navigation to Improve the Health and Wellness of Cancer Survivors in Rural Communities (Emphasis will be placed on the scale-up of this project, as many programs have already started working on this.)
• Addressing Risk Factors for Adult Cancers during Childhood
• Increasing the Number of Women with Ovarian Cancer Who Are Treated by a Gynecologic Oncologist

Proposed workgroup activities include:

1. Conducting an initial needs assessment to understand NCCC Programs’ facilitators and barriers to scaling these three projects, as well as their general TA needs.
2. Facilitating a CPCRN-NCCCP matching program, connecting NCCC programs with CPCRN members who have expertise in relevant content areas and settings.
3. Modifying the CPCRN Putting Public Health Evidence in Action training to include scale-up and sustainment strategies, as well as content specific to the three projects listed above.
4. Building a community of practice consisting of NCCCP and CPCRN members that will collaborate through webinars, TA calls, and hopefully an in-person symposium.
5. Evaluating our efforts and planning for project sustainment in the next CPCRN funding cycle.

Results of the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial have informed the development of favorable guidelines and policies to support implementation of lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT); however, uptake and maintenance of screening remain suboptimal. To maximize the individual and population health benefits of lung cancer screening, there is an urgent need for efforts to raise clinician and candidate engagement with lung cancer screening, support informed consideration of uptake, and facilitate adherence. While there has been some early attention to addressing disparities and inequity, there are a host of opportunities for developing, testing, and implementing targeted and tailored strategies to support appropriate and informed lung cancer screening in a number of underserved communities that are likely to experience higher rates of eligibility for screening due to tobacco use history. The CPCRN Equitable Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening Interest Group will consider these opportunities and work toward generating ideas and collaborations to develop an evidence base to support equity in lung cancer screening implementation.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Screening Interest Group, please contact Project Directors, Mary Wangen (wange062@live.unc.edu) & Emily Bilenduke (emily.bilenduke@ucdenver.edu).

The PharmCPC workgroup emerged from PharmFIT, a collaborative project between the University of North Carolina and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, led by Drs. Alison Brenner, Stephanie Wheeler, and Parth Shah. The purpose of the PharmFIT project was to pilot test the distribution of fecal immunochemcial tests (FIT) from community pharmacies as a way to increase access to colorectal cancer screening (CRC). The PharmCPC workgroup was formed to explore the expansion of the PharmFIT model to other cancer prevention and control services, such as HPV vaccination and home testing, tobacco cessation counseling, and lung cancer screening decision making. The first aim of the PharmCPC workgroup is to conduct a scoping review of cancer prevention and control services in pharmacies. Please contact Project Director, Mary Wangen (wange062@live.unc.edu), for more information and to get involved.