Consulting with television writers to encourage cancer and disparities topics in television programs

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recognizes the need to address issues surrounding underserved populations who experience health disparities and high rates of morbidity and mortality due to cancer. In addition to access issues, some underserved patients subscribe to beliefs and fears that prevent them from seeking cancer screening and care. Daytime and primetime dramas are particularly popular among African American and Hispanic groups with cancer disparities (Nielsen Audience Research, 2007). Hispanic women report the highest rate of learning about health from TV dramas (70%), while Black women and men report the second highest rates (65% and 64%). About 40% of Hispanic and Black regular viewers report taking one or more actions as a result (CDC HealthStyles Survey, 2001). Since 2003, we have conducted outreach to TV writers to educate them about cancer and disparities topics for storylines, and to provide cancer Web links and 800-numbers for use when cancer storylines air. We will describe activities and results, and show a clip from the show ER, whose writers consulted with NCI cancer disparities experts on a storyline about an African American character who ignores a lump in her breast because she fears that cutting into cancer will cause it to spread. The episode addressed this myth and introduced a Patient Navigator, who is a cancer survivor helping other cancer patients through their course of care. We will report on PSAs and hits to cancer Web pages from TV Web pages, and on cancer storylines that received a Sentinel for Health Award.