Adaptation of Cancer 101: A Cancer Education and Training Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives

Cancer 101 – A Cancer Education & Training Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives (Cancer 101) is an evidence-based educational resource tool designed to provide basic information about cancer. Developed in 2002, the curriculum is the result of collaboration between the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Spirit of EAGLES (SoE), and the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service-Northwest Region (NCI-CIS), who share a common mission to reduce the burden of cancer through education and awareness. Cancer 101 is an education resource developed in collaboration with the community; trainings provide a critical pathway for increasing knowledge about cancer, from diagnosis through end-of-life issues, and to promote action to disseminate the information to reduce the burden and improve survival of cancer within tribal communities.

The popularity and widespread dissemination of the resource, created the need to develop a guide for adapting Cancer 101 for use with other populations. To this end, NCI-CIS formed a national workgroup to bring cultural and professional expertise to formulate adaptation guidelines that take cultural relevance, literacy, and other important issues into consideration when adapting this cancer resource. Workgroup members brought the experience of having partnered with various programs to adapt, implement and evaluate Cancer 101 trainings for targeted audiences. Workshop participants will gain awareness of the Cancer 101 curriculum, and an understanding of the Cancer 101 Adaptation Guidelines.