Cross-Cutting Priorities

Primary prevention, early detection and treatment, and survivorship activities are overarching focus areas that programs use to prevent and control cancer. Interventions typically address one at a time.

NCCCP award recipients strengthen their program activities by incorporating the following cross-cutting priorities in their strategies and approaches.

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Building Healthy Communities through Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches

PSE approaches can make healthy living easier and provide sustainable cancer prevention and control improvements where people live, work, play, and learn.

We can make communities healthier by supporting changes in—

    • Policies to protect communities from harmful agents or elements (such as indoor tanning policies to limit exposure to ultraviolet rays or smoke-free policies to limit exposure to secondhand smoke).
    • Systems to increase the use of client reminders to get people screened for cancer, or to increase access to healthy food choices in schools and workplaces.
  • Environments to encourage communities to be active (such as pedestrian-and bike-friendly streets).
Photo of a no smoking sign in a neighborhood.
Achieving Health Equity within Cancer Prevention and Control

Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to live their healthiest life, including people in communities with a higher burden of cancer. Programs address health equity by—

  • Training and maintaining a culturally competent workforce, including patient navigators, community health workers, and other public health practitioners, to tailor interventions for underrepresented and underserved groups.
  • Promoting equitable access to resources, like quality and affordable screening, treatment, and care options.
  • Improving data measurement in research and surveillance, and using that data to guide community-driven plans.
Hands of family members holding a small wooden house.
Demonstrating Outcomes through Evaluation

Program evaluation drives public health decision making and identifies what works and where resources need to be invested. Evaluation improves programs by—

  • Strengthening activities with pilot programs and participant feedback.
  • Preserving resources through evaluation partnerships and information sharing.
  • Ensuring outcomes will be met by monitoring the success of program activities during implementation.
A group of work colleagues sitting at meeting tables.
Examples of Successful NCCCP Activities Putting the Cross-Cutting Priorities into Action
  • ArkansasSmoke-free State FairPSE Approaches icon: stick person walking.Primary prevention icon: injection.Tobacco policies at the state fair reduce families’ exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • IndianaComplete Streets Initiative pdf icon[PDF-186KB]PSE Approaches icon: stick person walking.Primary prevention icon: injection.Neighborhood streets are accessible and attractive to pedestrians and cyclists to increase physical activity.
  • New YorkAccess to Cancer ScreeningPSE Approaches icon: stick person walking.Early detection icon: A cross of two bandages.Worksite policy gives 8 extra leave hours to county workers to get cancer screenings.
  • Great Plains ReservationTribal Tobacco UseHealth Equity icon: globe with heart.Primary prevention icon: injection.Cultural competency trainings teach community health workers how to talk about commercial tobacco use with tribe members.
  • WisconsinLGBT Passport to HealthHealth Equity icon: globe with heart.Primary prevention icon: injection.Early detection icon: A cross of two bandages.Educational booklet provides population-specific health and cancer screening information.
  • OregonTobacco Prevention for MedicaidHealth Equity icon: globe with heart.PSE Approaches icon: stick person walking.Primary prevention icon: injection.State reduces Medicaid insurance barriers to increase recipients’ access to primary prevention and tobacco cessation resources.
  • North DakotaTreadmill DesksPSE Approaches icon: stick person walking.Primary prevention icon: injection.Evaluation icon: notepad.Treadmill desks increase employee physical activity to reduce cancer risk.
  • Washington, DCInside Knowledge PilotPrimary prevention icon: injection.Evaluation icon: notepad.SelfMadeHealth Network pilots gynecologic cancer educational sessions for college-aged African American women.
  • ArkansasHead Start FamiliesHealth Equity icon: globe with heart.Primary prevention icon: injection.Evaluation icon: notepad.Staff learn how to talk to rural, low socioeconomic status parents about smoking cessation and risks.
  • Primary prevention icon: injection.Primary prevention
  • Early detection icon: A cross of two bandages.Early Detection and Treatment
  • Survivorship icon: ribbon.Survivorship
  • Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches icon: stick person walking.Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches
  • Health Equity icon: globe with heart.Health Equity
  • Evaluation icon: notepad.Evaluation
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