In 1998, the Mayor of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commission launched the Crusade Against Cancer; a community-wide effort developed to reduce the rates of cancer incidence and mortality in Boston. The goal of Boston's Crusade: to dcrease cancer rates by 50% over the next 15 years. Building on the work of an appointed Cancer Control Task Force, the Crusade began with a first in the nation Executive Order which grants up to four hours off paid time per year to each City of Boston employee for cancer screenings. Promoted with city funding, the Crusade Against Cancer has accompllished the following: Released a detailed report on the impact of cancer in the neighborhoods of Boston; Established an Office of Cancer Prevention and Control; Banned smoking in Boston's restaurants through a Boston Public Commission Board regulation; Funded a new City of Boston Mammography Van, which serves 300 women each month; Expanded the "Breast Friends" cancer education program to include additional neighborhood and educational materials about cervical cancer; Provide taxi vouchers to more than 2000 cancer patients in need of transportation to treatments; Mailed a Guide to Cancer Prevention and Early Detection to more than 250,000 Boston households; Won a competitive REACH 2010 award from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the disparties in breast and cervical cancer among African American women; This presentation will include data on the outcomes of these initiatives and their impact on Boston residents.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1) identify various community initiatives of the Cancer Crusade 2) Understand the importance of various partnerships to promote the Crusade. 3) Have an understanding of the outcomes of each promotion which includes data
Keywords: Cancer Prevention, Breast Cancer Screening
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: American Cancer Society
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.