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What is the Education Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials?
Founded in 2004 by advocates, educators and clinicians, ENACCT follows a mission to identify, implement and validate innovative approaches to cancer clinical trials education, outreach and recruitment to improve outcomes for all.
There is an important need to develop effective approaches to address the problems of cancer clinical trial access, accrual and awareness. Nationally, fewer than 5 percent of all adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials; this rate is even lower among racial and ethnic minorities as well as the medically underserved.
ENACCT is the only national organization devoted solely to implementing and evaluating cancer clinical trial educational efforts.
How are the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and ENACCT working together to improve the lives of people affected by cancer?
The LAF and ENACCT are partnering to implement the Pilot Education Program (PEP), a community-centered education program designed to identify promising approaches to increase awareness about clinical research.
In January 2006, three community partnerships were selected to participate in the three-year Pilot. These partnerships, located in Boston, Decatur, IL, and Tacoma, WA, are now developing innovative approaches to foster awareness about cancer clinical trials, enhance their acceptability and improve access to them. To support their efforts, ENACCT is providing ongoing Train-the -Trainer programs, technical assistance and evaluation support.
How can I get involved?
You can further the work of the LAF and ENACCT by:
Progress Report
Throughout year one of the five-year partnership, ENACCT focused on developing the elements of the PEP. With the help of partnering organizations in May 2005, ENACCT announced the funding opportunity for the PEP. From a national competitive process with more than 60 applicants, the following organizations were awarded funding to work collaboratively with community leaders to increase awareness about cancer clinical trials:
The Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County, Washington
The Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County, which has previously worked on tobacco prevention and cessation among ethnically diverse groups, has focused for the last four years on the promotion of community health and systematic change in formal and informal health care systems and making them accessible, available and culturally appropriate for all.
Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition, Boston, Massachusetts
The mission of the Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition (COHS) is to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through social transformation strategies. Over the next three years, COHS will work to increase Roxbury, Mass., residents' knowledge of cancer clinical trials, reduce fear and mistrust of research, and work with other ENACCT PEP sites to develop models for increasing under-represented populations in cancer clinical trials.
Decatur Community Partnership, Decatur, Illinois
The Decatur County Partnership (DCP), a group of community organizations and healthcare professionals, promotes collaborative programs to improve the quality of life and health of Macon County, Ill., residents. Through its work with ENACCT, DCP will enhance its partnership's capacity and scope as well as institutionalize the outreach and education programs developed through ENACCT. The partnership will work to engage the community in breaking down barriers to clinical trials by addressing the specific barriers of patients, physicians, the medically underserved and the Amish and Mennonite communities.
In year two, ENACCT has been supporting each site as they train local trainers to deliver workshops in their communities.
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