A collaborative project to address local disparities in breast cancer outcomes

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in Orange County, California. One of the most important predictors of breast cancer survival is stage at diagnosis, which is an indicator of inadequate screening. The aim of the current project was to identify local areas in need of breast cancer screening and early detection services using a collaborative process that mobilizes diverse partners, expertise, and data, while tapping local knowledge and experiences regarding breast cancer screening. Our experiences can provide other communities with a model for collaboratively planning breast health preventive service provision. The non-profit Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure initiated and managed the project along with the project's Community Advisory Group, which included community-based organizations and breast cancer survivors as well as local health department staff. Data analysis was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and mapping was conducted by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) using geographic information systems (GIS). We identified several local communities at high risk of late stage breast cancer diagnosis. Using GIS, we mapped late stage diagnosis risk by Medical Service Study Area and overlaid the spatial distribution of breast cancer screening providers and other community assets in order to identify services that were under-developed within high risk communities. Community organizations and OCHCA are using this information to initiate and/or augment breast cancer screening services in areas of greatest need.