Involving providers and patients in cancer control and prevention efforts. Barriers to overcome.

Although progress has been made in providing cancer prevention and control services to the population, there remain sizeable segments of the population that are either uninvolved or underinvolved with national and state efforts. One method of reaching most of the population, including those segments currently not involved or underinvolved, is through primary care clinicians. Effective, albeit imperfect, strategies to increase the involvement of primary care clinicians in cancer prevention and control are available, and there is emerging evidence that these strategies are making a difference. Unfortunately, the progress made to date is at risk of being lost because of economic barriers that can be expected to reduce the likelihood of persons, especially low-income and minority persons, having regular access to cancer prevention and control services through their primary care clinicians.