Stimulating evidence-based community participatory research: Lessons learned from the WINCART experience in California

The cancer control needs of Pacific Islanders are enormous, but very little is known about their epidemiological risks and needs, prevention and screening behaviours, and survivorship experiences and services – particularly for smaller ethnic groups such as Chamorros, Tongans, and Marshallese. Available selected data point to high incidence rates for both cancer onset and mortality (such as lung cancer among Native Hawaiians and Samoans), low rates of breast and cervical cancer screening, and high risk behaviours (particularly tobacco use and obesity). Community-based participatory research (CBPR) holds the promise of elevating the visibility of cancer health disparities among both community members and academic researchers, and promoting processes that increase the applicability of epidemiological assessments and intervention development. In this presentation, lessons from the NCI Community Network Program “WINCART: Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training” will be described regarding the process of developing and implementing a community grants program to promote evaluation of cancer education and participation in research design and implementation. Specifically, participants will learn about the background of the network's grants efforts, strategies for stimulating intervention and research development, and outcomes related to both. WINCART's CBPR processes and outcomes hold the potential for informing current and future community-based cancer disparities efforts in other ethnic/racial or medically underserved populations in the U.S.