title: A Community Coalition to Address Cancer Disparities: Transitions, Successes and Challenges.
abstract: Community-based participatory (CBP) strategies are considered important to efforts to eliminate disparities. This paper outlines how the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) uses CBP strategies as a part of a long-term cancer education, prevention, and control strategy in an urban community. Community partnerships have proved to be vital resources to inform PECaD's agenda and the research practice of academic partners. We begin with a description of PECaD governance and partnership structures. The paper then describes programmatic activities and successes, including efforts to monitor clinical trials, deployment of mammography resources, anti-smoking, and prostate and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening education. The influence of changes in funding priorities, preventive screening policy, and community partner development on the partnership process over time is discussed. PECaD community partners have grown and expanded beyond the Program's mission and developed additional partnerships, resulting in a reevaluation of relationships. The impact of these external and internal changes and pressures on the partnerships are noted. The evolution of the evaluation process and what it has revealed about needed improvements in PECaD activities and operations is presented. A summary of the lessons learned and their implications for CBP practice are provided.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Program, Brown School, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, CB 1196, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA. vthompson@brownschool.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Vetta L Sanders
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Aimee S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norfolk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: PECaD Disparities Elimination Advisory Board, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ashford
authors.affiliation: PECaD Disparities Elimination Advisory Board, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Sherrill
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: PECaD Disparities Elimination Advisory Board, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Witherspoon
authors.affiliation: PECaD Disparities Elimination Advisory Board, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Mikki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brewster
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colditz
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D006266:Health Education; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Cancer prevention and control; Community-based participatory research; Health disparities; Health education