Taking the Next Steps

Last week, before I left for the American Cancer Society meeting, Dr. Lucio Miele and other faculty from the University of Mississippi Cancer Center, along with our community-based staff from the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt, met with UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center faculty to plan for the third funding period for the Deep South Network for Cancer Control. This network has been working for 10 years to promote breast, cervical and colorectal screening in traditionally underserved populations.

Our focus for the next five years is to determine how best to reach those who are still unreached after 10 years of work. We will get feedback and advice from the community on how best to approach this problem.

In addition, we are planning a research project to compare an individual level intervention to reduce weight with an individual level intervention plus community-based intervention.

Unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity and obesity are becoming a major cause of cancer in developed countries. We must find ways to ameliorate this growing pandemic.

-Ed Partridge, M.D.



Faculty and staff from the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Mississippi meet to discuss their efforts in cancer outreach to minorities and underserved populations.