National Minority Cancer Awareness Week is observed the third week of April. The following resources may be helpful when developing educational and outreach materials regarding minorities and cancer. Categories include: Michigan Cancer Consortium Resources; Michigan Government Resources; Federal Government Resources; Organizational Resources; and University Resources.

• The Cancer Burden in Michigan: Selected Statistics (revised December 2006)
  This revised report was developed by the Michigan Public Health Institute in support of the Michigan Cancer Consortium Initiative. The report describes the cancer burden in Michigan in terms morbidity and mortality, and the human and financial cost associated with cancer to the extent to which data are available at this time. Five cancer sites are presented: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate.

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• Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Office of Minority Health
  www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2940_2955-16949--,00.html
  At this site, you will find health facts for various racial and ethnic groups in Michigan.

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• MDCH Health Disparity Reduction and Minority Health Program
  www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2940_2955_2985---,00.html
  The Health Disparity Reduction and Minority Health Program was established to provide a persistent and continuing focus on eliminating disparities in the health status of Michigan’s at-risk populations of color, which include: African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Arab/Chaldeans, American Indians, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. The program works to ensure that policies, programs and implementation strategies are culturally and linguistically tailored to significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity rates of Michigan’s populations of color.

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• Michigan Health Promotions Clearinghouse — Order form for cancer education materials (updated Sept. 22, 2008; available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file)*
  The Clearinghouse offers more than three dozen printed materials ranging from brochures to posters to educate residents about breast, cervical and colorectal cancers; all materials are available free of charge in limited quantities to Michigan residents. Sources for the materials include the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, and the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

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• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Health Disparities
  www.cdc.gov/cancer/minorityawareness/index.htm
  Here you will find information about activities being undertaken by the CDC to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in cancer. Also included on this site are various cancer facts for minorities in the United States.

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• National Cancer Institute (NCI) — Special Populations Networks
  http://crchd.cancer.gov/spn/overview.html
  In December 2000, the National Cancer Institute established the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities. The purpose of the Special Populations Networks is to build relationships between large research institutions and community-based programs and to find ways of addressing important questions about the burden of cancer in minority communities. See the "Links to Special Populations Resources" section for a number of links, organized by various special populations.

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• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — Closing the Health Gap Campaign
  www.omhrc.gov/healthgap/index.htm
  The DHHS and ABC Radio Networks are working together to sponsor Closing the Health Gap, a national campaign to bring the best health information to African American communities and help African American consumers take charge of their health. Look for information on cancer, as well as a multitude of consumer health resources.

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• DHHS Office of Minority Health
  www.omhrc.gov
  The mission of the Office of Minority Health is to improve the health of racial and ethnic populations through the development of effective health policies and programs that help to eliminate disparities in health. This site offers a resource center that includes a database of minority health publications and programs. Search by the subject "cancer" and find a listing of more than 300 materials and contact information for each entry.

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• United States Cancer Statistics: 1999-2004 Cancer Incidence and Mortality Data
  www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/uscs/index.htm
  The U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality report marks the sixth time that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute have combined their cancer incidence data sources to produce a new set of official federal statistics on cancer incidence (newly diagnosed cases) from each registry that met data quality criteria. Mortality statistics from CDC's National Vital Statistics System are included on cancer deaths for a single year and each state. This joint report covers 98 percent of the U.S. population for incidence and 100 percent of the population for mortality. It provides state-specific and regional data for cancer cases diagnosed and cancer deaths that occurred in 2004, the most recent year for which incidence data are available. The report has been produced in collaboration with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).

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• American Association for Cancer Education (AACE)
  www.aaceonline.com
  The AACE fosters cancer education by individuals throughout the world who, either due to professional obligations or personal interest, are involved in cancer education. The association provides a forum for health-related professionals concerned with the study and improvement of cancer education at the undergraduate, graduate, continuing professional, and paraprofessional levels. Active members include physicians, dentists, nurses, health educators, social workers, occupational therapists, and other professionals interested in cancer education. Cancer education efforts are related to prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation.

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• American Cancer Society
  www.cancer.org
  The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering, and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 14 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States.

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• CancerCare
  www.cancercare.org
  CancerCare is a national non-profit organization that provides free professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones, and the bereaved. The site features resources for people with cancer and their caregivers (including counseling, educational programs, information and referrals, and financial needs resources), as well as cancer care professionals and members of the media. Users may choose between English- and Spanish-language site pages.

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• C-Change
  http://cchangetogether.org
  C-Change is comprised of the nation's key cancer leaders from government, business and nonprofit sectors. These cancer leaders share the vision of a future where cancer is prevented, detected early, and cured or managed successfully as a chronic illness. The mission of C-Change is to leverage the combined expertise and resources of its members to eliminate cancer as a (major) public health problem at the earliest possible time.

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• The Cross Cultural Health Care Program (CCHCP)
  www.xculture.org
  The CCHCP in Seattle was established in 1992 with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Since then, it has been addressing broad cultural issues that impact the health of individuals and families in ethnic minority communities in Seattle and nationwide. This web site offers resources regarding the provision of culturally and linguistically competent health care. Choose any of the 14 categories listed (e.g., health promotion resources, health resources for women of color, professional organizations) to find links to resources within that topic.

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• Intercultural Cancer Council (ICC)
  http://iccnetwork.org/
  The ICC promotes policies, programs, partnerships, and research to eliminate the unequal burden of cancer among racial and ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations in the United States and its territories. This site offers information about minority and special populations, as well as cancer resources. Key features include cancer fact sheets for various racial and ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations, and the resources section. The resources section includes links to a multitude of organizations for minority and special populations.

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• ICC Cancer Fact Sheets
  http://iccnetwork.org/cancerfacts
  These fact sheets were created because medically underserved populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, experience disproportionately greater suffering and compromised health from cancer compared to the U.S. population as a whole. The site includes the following Cancer Fact Sheets:

  • African Americans & Cancer;

  • American Indians/Alaska Natives & Cancer;

  • Asian Americans & Cancer;

  • Hispanic/Latinos & Cancer;

  • Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders & Cancer; and

  • Rural Poor/Medically Underserved Americans & Cancer.

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• Management Sciences for Health — The Provider's Guide to Quality and Culture
  http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=1.0.htm&module=
  provider&language=English
  The Provider's Guide was developed by Management Sciences for Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the improvement of global health. Features include an interactive quiz that helps users enhance their knowledge and skills. The guide also has 11 modules on topics such as common health problems in selected minority, ethnic and cultural groups, and understanding immigrant, refugee and minority populations.

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• The Wellness Community
  www.thewellnesscommunity.org/
  The Wellness Community is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing free emotional support, education and hope for people with cancer and their loved ones. The cornerstone of The Wellness Community is the “Patient Active Concept,” which encompasses the belief that patients who actively participate with their physicians and medical team in their fight for recovery can improve the quality of their lives and may enhance the possibility of their recovery. The site's Virtual Wellness Community offers cancer information, free, professionally moderated support groups in real-time for people with cancer and their caregivers (including teens), and a host of other resources for consumers and professionals. It also hosts physician and nurse lectures, nutritional workshops, mind-body programs, and other services. Both the site's resources and the online support groups are available in English and in Spanish.

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• University of Michigan School of Public Health — Studying and Improving Minority Health in Michigan
  www.sph.umich.edu/cbph/programs/simhim
  These pages contain resources for community-based efforts. The resources are a result of the work of students participating in the Studying and Improving Minority Health in Michigan program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. They are intended for use by students and other professionals working in community-based work, and are divided into a general group and a number of racial groups.

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• Wayne State University (WSU) Center for Urban and African American Health
  www.med.wayne.edu/intmed/cuaah/cuaah.htm
  The Center for Urban and African American Health, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, consists of a number of research projects and core facilities, with participation of 34 investigators from across the WSU campus. The Center's work involves three projects: 1) Obesity, Nitric Oxide, Oxidative Stress and Salt Sensitivity; 2) Weight Loss in Breast Cancer Survivors; and 3) A Dyadic Intervention for Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients. The projects are thematically linked through obesity, diet, and other lifestyle factors, including physical activity and obesity-related cardiovascular disease and cancer.