Region of the Americas (AMR)

Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) plans identify how an organization addresses cancer burden as a significant public health challenge.

They are data-driven, evidence-based blueprints for action. CCC plans guide cancer control activities and can have similar components. Plans typically cover a five-year timeframe. In the fifth year, different processes are used to revise and update CCC plans.

Currently, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, seven tribes and tribal organizations, and seven territories and U.S. Pacific Island jurisdictions have produced 65 plans. In addition to these plans, the Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands developed a Pacific Regional Plan.  [PDF-613KB]

To download a CCC plan—

• Click the link (state, U.S. territory, or tribe/tribal organization) on the map, or
• Review the lists of plans (state, U.S. territory or tribe/tribal organization) and click the link.

The purpose of “Cancer in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2013” is to disseminate data made available to the Pan American Health Organization by its Member States on the current state of risk factors, cancer mortality as well as cancer plans, policies and services. The data presented in this publication are based

on “Cancer in the Americas. Cancer profiles 2013”3 , facilitating a regional overview of the information as well as country comparison, where appropriate.

Chronic disease programs in public health agencies across the US are increasingly integrating activities across single-disease program lines. Comprehensive cancer control programs have in many cases benefited from chronic disease program integration. Many realize a new potential for efficient use of staff, funds, and surveillance and intervention efforts. Such integration however is not without barriers, challenges and constraints. Despite these challenges, there is a growing determination among public health professionals and policy makers to coordinate and link chronic disease public health programs.   

In our April NCI cyber-seminar, we will look across national and state programs to highlight principles for successful chronic disease program integration initiatives and specific recommendations for comprehensive cancer control and chronic disease programs.

Nikki Hayes, Chief of the Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will give an overview of what CDC’s vision for how such integration is viewed at the national level and how successful integration is strengthening cancer control initiatives. 

Krystal D. Moorwood, a Chronic Disease Supervisor with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will share how the Colorado Chronic Disease (CD) State Plan broadly encompasses the Cancer Plan. Krystal will highlight Colorado's internal cancer program management and discuss how a health systems project that originated in 'cancer' grew to encompass other chronic disease initiatives. 

As always, part of the webinar will be dedicated to your questions. We look forward to you engaging with the presenters, and sharing your own experiences.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the cyber-seminar, participants will be able to:

• Participants will gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of the integration of cancer into chronic disease programming.  

• Participants will learn about principles and specific recommendations for successful comprehensive cancer control and chronic disease programs at the national, state and international levels.

• Participants will gain an understanding of a health systems approach which aims to integrate not only cancer, but other chronic diseases and conditions into mandated health planning.

A research centre focused on occupational cancer

The Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC), established in 2009, is the first of its kind in Canada. The establishment of the OCRC grew out of the recognized need to re-emphasize research on the causes and prevention of occupation-related cancers after decades of diminished effort in most countries.

The OCRC will work to fill the gaps in our knowledge of occupation-related cancers and use these findings to inform preventive programs to control workplace carcinogenic (cancer-causing) exposures and improve the health of workers.

A substantial and unacceptable burden

Nearly 60 occupational exposures have been classified as definite or probable human carcinogens (cancer-causing) and over a hundred more are suspected carcinogens. There are many workplace substances that cause cancer in animals that have not been carefully evaluated in humans.  Occupational exposures may account for 20 to 30% of the cancers among blue collar workers.