Creating alliances to improve cancer prevention and detection among urban medically underserved minority groups. The East Harlem Partnership for Cancer Awareness.

The East Harlem Partnership for Cancer Awareness (EHPCA) was formed in 1999 to reduce disparities in cancer screening and prevention among medically underserved minorities residing in a large urban community (East Harlem, New York City) by increasing awareness of cancer risk, prevention, and treatment, and promoting greater participation in breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screening and early detection. The Partnership augments a 20-year collaboration between an academic medical center, a public hospital, and 2 community health centers. Needs assessments were conducted to inform program development. Cancer education, outreach, and screening programs were developed based on the PRECEED-PROCEED model for health education and health promotion programming. Needs assessments revealed that although the majority of the population (86%) was insured and had a source of primary care, cancer screening guidelines for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancers were not being followed. Outreach strategies, targeted curricula, educational sessions, and screening programs have been developed and implemented to improve knowledge levels and increase screening participation. The EHPCA is a model of a successful partnership among the public and private sectors to reduce disparities in cancer screening and prevention in a diverse, medically underserved, urban minority community. Future efforts to reduce cancer screening disparities in this population will include patient navigation and improved access to standard-of-care screening such as colonoscopy. Cancer 2006. (c) 2006 American Cancer Society.