A national framework for cancer surveillance in the United States.

Enhancements to cancer surveillance systems are needed for meeting increased demands for data and for developing effective program planning, evaluation, and research on cancer prevention and control. Representatives from the American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Cancer Registrars Association, and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries have worked together on the National Coordinating Council for Cancer Surveillance to develop a national framework for cancer surveillance in the United States. The framework addresses a continuum of disease progression from a healthy state to the end of life and includes primary prevention (factors that increase or decrease cancer occurrence in healthy populations), secondary prevention (screening and diagnosis), and tertiary prevention (factors that affect treatment, survival, quality of life, and palliative care).

Effect of community coalition structure and preparation on the subsequent implementation of cancer control activities.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify factors within a three-phase community coalition development model that influence short-term success in cancer control coalitions based on the cumulative number of educational and screening activities conducted by the coalitions.

Design: This study was a nonrandomized community intervention trial involving four autonomous, independently funded multistate projects aimed at using coalitions to increase cancer screening and early detection.

Setting: The study was conducted in medically underserved, rural counties of Appalachia.

Kentucky breast cancer report card.

The Kentucky Breast Cancer Task Force in conjunction with the Kentucky Cancer Registry and the Kentucky Cancer Program has prepared a Breast Cancer Report Card concerning the incidence and mortality of this disease among Kentucky women for the period of 1995 to 2000. Comparison of Kentucky data with those from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute reveals that the incidence rate of breast cancer in Kentucky is lower than that for the SEER population. The incidence of "early" stage disease is significantly lower among Kentucky women, but the incidence of "late" stage disease is similar in both data sets.

Developing and implementing a statewide breast cancer action plan.

Background: This article describes a model used by the Kentucky Breast Cancer Task Force to develop and implement a statewide breast cancer action plan.

Methods: The authors examine the challenges encountered during different phases of plan development and the ways in which these challenges were addressed.

Conclusions: To successfully move from planning to implementation, task forces must have broad-based participation, a "lead organization" to coordinate the planning process, focused work agendas, and firm commitments from cancer-related organizations and groups to spearhead activities in specific implementation areas.