The Appalachia Community Cancer Network (ACCN) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded research initiative to reduce cancer health disparities in the Appalachian region through community participation in education, research, and training. The ACCN is one of 25 NCI Community Network Programs across the country funded by the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities at NCI.
Based at the University of Kentucky Prevention Research Center, the ACCN serves the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ACCN collaborates with Appalachian communities and other partners to conduct cancer education and awareness activities, community-based participatory research projects, and to provide training opportunities throughout the region. The ACCN focuses its efforts on prevention and early detection of cervical, lung, and colorectal cancers, all of which have high incidence and mortality rates in the seven-state region.
The Appalachia Community Cancer Network (ACCN) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded research initiative to reduce cancer health disparities in the Appalachian region through community participation in education, research, and training. The ACCN is one of 25 NCI Community Network Programs across the country funded by the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities at NCI.
Based at the University of Kentucky Prevention Research Center, the ACCN serves the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ACCN collaborates with Appalachian communities and other partners to conduct cancer education and awareness activities, community-based participatory research projects, and to provide training opportunities throughout the region. The ACCN focuses its efforts on prevention and early detection of cervical, lung, and colorectal cancers, all of which have high incidence and mortality rates in the seven-state region.
RESEARCH
The ultimate goal of the ACCN is to advance our understanding of the environmental, societal, behavioral, and biological factors that contribute to the disparities in cancer incidence and mortality among rural Appalachian populations.
The specific goals of the ACCN Research Program are to:
Conduct community-based participatory research to reduce cancer health disparities in local communities;
Promote the development of pilot projects that complement and address the initial research priorities of the ACCN, including primary and secondary prevention of lung, cervical and colorectal cancers in Appalachia;
Promote the development of full RO1-type projects based on results of pilot projects;
Train researchers in community-based participatory research to reduce cancer health disparities, particularly researchers from racial/ethnic minority and underserved populations;
Develop an ACCN-wide program to address the challenge of recruitment to clinical trials; and
Promote the adoption, replication, implementation and diffusion of successful programs in Appalachian communities.