Researchers from UC Irvine's Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and California State University, Fullerton's Health Promotion Research Institute have formed a partnership to help reduce cancer disparities in Orange County.
The collaboration, the first of its kind between the two institutions, is led by Dr. F. Allan Hubbell, professor emeritus of medicine, public health, and nursing science at UCI; and Sora Park Tanjasiri, professor of health science and director of the Health Promotion Research Institute at Cal State Fullerton.
The two will receive $1.3 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
"The overall goal is to establish a collaborative partnership that will increase research at both institutions on cancer health disparities," Hubbell said. "By doing so, the partnership will contribute to reducing and eventually eliminating disparities in Orange County, leading to cancer health equity."
"Cancer is the second-leading cause of death among all major ethnic groups," Tanjasiri added. "However, the risk of developing cancer varies considerably by ethnicity."
Hispanics, for example, have higher rates of cervical cancer, stomach cancer and liver cancer than non-Hispanic whites. And non-Hispanic black males have the highest overall cancer incidence and mortality rates of any ethnic group.
The alliance has two objectives: