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Cancer Health Equity Strategic Goals 2024-2027

Significant progress has been made to reduce overall cancer incidence and mortality in the United States and globally, but not all populations have benefitted equally. Some groups continue to experience a disproportionate burden of cancer and some of these disparities have in fact widened. The heightened cancer burden remains poorly understood and, in the past, has been inadequately addressed. The Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) has identified research goals to reduce health disparities (HD) and achieve cancer health equity (HE).  

The current Strategic Plan for DCEG renewed its commitment to conduct research that delineates and understands differences in cancer etiology and outcomes in populations underrepresented in biomedical research in the United States and globally. DCEG has prioritized cancer health equity research as an area for expansion. Based on the recommendations of an ad hoc Health Disparities Advisory Group and internal discussions, the DCEG proposes the following activities for each of three research goals:

Goal 1: Promote cancer health equity research  

An icon of a group of six different individuals.
  • Establish a Health Equity Research unit within the Trans Divisional Research Program (TDRP) to coordinate and support cancer health equity research in the DCEG and identify research opportunities 
  • Incorporate consideration of HD/HE research in scientific review and promotion criteria  
  • Increase incentives for conducting HD/HE research 

 

Goal 2: Advance research methods 

Yellow magnifying glass laid over a blue bar chart with a gray outline
  • Increase the diversity of participants in current and future studies 
  • Promote optimal practices for data collection and analysis in HD/HE projects 
  • Invite HD/HE research scholars to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaborative research 
  • Organize educational sessions on HD/HE terminology or research methods through seminars, workshops and courses  
  • Develop novel data linkages and sharing mechanisms consistent with FAIR data practices 

 

Goal 3: Partner with the broader research community 

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  • Engage patient advocates and affected communities throughout the research process from idea inception to analysis and publication of findings 
  • Initiate scientific collaborations with new partners 
  • Invite presentations from researchers conducting Community-Based Participatory Research projects 
  • Promote Community-Based and Patient Advocacy Participatory Practices 
  • Pursue collaboration with other national agencies to enhance the reach and impact of HE research 
  • Offer sabbatical opportunities for outside researchers to work alongside DCEG to foster collaborations 
  • Updated:

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