The DC Cancer Coalition is comprised of over 30 organizations and counting, and consists of non-profits, health systems, academia, and government agencies. This group of dedicated and influential members from DC’s community, meets bimonthly, with a focus on activities supporting the DC Cancer Control Plan.
Vision
The Coalition envisions a highly functioning, coordinated infrastructure of cancer prevention and care delivery that equitably[1] reduces the cancer burden for all residents in the District of Columbia.
Mission
The Coalition’s mission is to reduce preventable cancer morbidity and mortality in the District of Columbia through coordinated efforts and improved infrastructure that support the fair and impartial delivery of evidence-based and culturally responsive prevention and care across the cancer continuum.
Goals from the Cancer Plan
- Reduce the prevalence of obesity
- Reduce tobacco use prevalence and consumption
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Prevent HPV infection
- Prevent liver cancers related to hepatitis C infections
- Reduce late-stage diagnosis of cancer for which screening is available
- Decrease cancer mortality rates for all DC residents
- Increase appropriate use of genetic testing
- Improve the quality of life from diagnosis through the balance of life
DC Cancer Coalition Workgroups
Patient Navigation Workgroup: The Patient Navigation (PN) Workgroup seeks to improve access and delivery of care across the cancer care continuum by improving clinical and community referral policies/protocols
Data Collection Workgroup: The Data Collection Workgroup aims to develop a system for collecting and/or consolidating “on the ground” and institutional data in the District to improve overall data surveillance and monitoring that allows for a comprehensive analysis of the cancer burden.
Early Detection Workgroup: The Early Detection Workgroup aims to identify barriers to screening, identify factors contributing to late-stage diagnosis.