CDC awards ACS and GWCI $4.25 million to establish National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center

The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the GW Cancer Institute (GWCI) were recently awarded $4.25 million by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to establish a National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center. Work on the project will begin on September 30.

"Collaboration is critical to effectively address the needs of the more than 11 million cancer survivors in the United States today. Through our partnership, the GW Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society are taking a major step towards a cancer survivorship strategy to significantly improve cancer survivor care and quality of life by jointly assessing and addressing survivor needs through the new Center," stated Steven Patierno, GWCI Executive Director.

The five-year grant will allow GWCI and ACS to work collaboratively to guide national progress toward improved health outcomes for cancer survivors and to develop a strategic plan for enhancing nationwide surveillance of cancer survivors.

The two organizations will conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify gaps in cancer survivorship; convene an expert panel to identify performance indicators and criteria to assess the effectiveness of current survivorship activities and programs and disseminate panel proceedings to key stakeholders; provide support for cancer survivors and caregivers through patient navigation in the post-treatment period; enhance collaborations with cancer coalitions and national, state and community-based organizations to develop and disseminate evidence-based information and resources on cancer survivorship; and collaborate with appropriate partners to bridge public health, clinical communities and decision-makers in order to enhance awareness of post-cancer clinical care for survivors.

"This grant provides a major opportunity for the Society to significantly accelerate its survivorship activities, enhance existing collaborations and create new ones, impact public policy, and increase education about survivorship issues for patients, caregivers, health care providers and others. We are excited to partner with GWCI to ensure that the public health community can address cancer survivorship more effectively and comprehensively and focus on improving the quality of life for survivors, caregivers and their families," said Terry Music, chief mission officer, American Cancer Society.

Through this grant, GWCI's longitudinal model of patient navigation will be applied at a national level, expanding navigation assistance across the cancer continuum and into the post-treatment period. The National Cancer Survivorship Center will also leverage curriculum developed through the GWCI Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship, Navigation and Policy (caSNP) to improve best practices of comprehensive cancer control programs. GWCI will also host the National Cancer Survivorship Center's Fellowship Program, through which five Fellows will receive training and mentorship to create programs that improve survivorship care for targeted, underserved populations across the nation.

"This new grant builds on the momentum generated by our Pfizer-funded Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship, Navigation and Policy (caSNP), and our newly opened, clinical Cancer Survivorship Center supported by the DC Cancer Consortium," said Mandi Chapman, director of GWCI's Office of Cancer Survivorship. "It also builds on a rich history of ACS partnership with comprehensive cancer coalitions and the incredible ACS infrastructure for information dissemination."