• About UANews
• Sign up for News
• Resources for Media
• Calendar
• Contact Us

The grant provides funding to continue developing sustainable solutions to cancer disparities among Native Americans

By Ilya Sloan, Arizona Cancer Center
October 5, 2009

The Arizona Cancer Center Health Disparities Institute's Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention in conjunction with its partner – Northern Arizona University – were awarded a $15.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute.

The grant provides funding to continue developing sustainable solutions to cancer disparities among Native Americans. The Arizona Cancer Center will receive $6.7 million and NAU will receive $8.9 million.

NACP, begun in 2002, focuses on community partnership and involvement with the Hopi Tribe, Navajo and Tohono O'odham Nations. The premise of NACP is that a sustainable solution to cancer disparities among Native Americans must be rooted in the communities.

However, many factors – from communication and infrastructure challenges in remote rural communities, to low rates of Native American representation in university and medical institutions, to the challenge of culturally-appropriate communication – make it a difficult and time-consuming process to build appropriate connections with tribal communities. 

"Since 2002, when the  first cycle of funding began, a strong community relationship was developed with the Hopi Tribe and the Navajo and Tohono O'odham Nations; these relationships now position NACP to develop sustainable community-based programs aimed at reducing the cancer burden," said Louise Canfield of the Arizona Cancer Center the principal investigator of the NACP Training Program.

"This is the only partnership funded by the National Cancer Institute aimed at the huge burden that cancer places on Native Americans," said Laura Huenneke, vice president for Research at Northern Arizona University and lead investigator for the NAU portion of the partnership. 

The partnership's efforts have resulted in 11 tribal-approved research projects with the Hopi Tribe, Navajo and Tohono O'odham Nations on comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening programs. Also initiated is continuing education for community healthcare professionals and institutionalized graduate and undergraduate educational curricula at both universities.

"Not only do these projects contribute to the scientific understanding of the causes and impacts of cancer in Arizona's tribal communities, they enable us to recruit talented students, especially Native American students, into careers related to cancer research, prevention and treatment," Huenneke said. 

Specifically, Canfield noted, "Of the 153 students who have participated in NACP training and research programs, 106 are Native American. Fifty-three of these participated actively in one of eight research programs; 13 are currently working in cancer research or health care; and 10 are pursing advanced degrees. In collaboration with the Indian Health Service, a ‘virtual' colon cancer screening program was initiated in remote areas of the Navajo Nation. These accomplishments have been possible due to the collaboration of the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University," Canfield said.

Dr. David Alberts, director of the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona, and Laura Huenneke, ]vice president of research at Northern Arizona University are the co-principal investigators of the grant.

The Arizona Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Arizona. With primary locations at the UA in Tucson and in Scottsdale, the Center has more than a dozen research and education offices throughout the state, and 300 physician and scientist members working to prevent and cure cancer.