Community Outreach and Engagement

The University of Kansas Cancer Center is at the front line, working in and collaborating with our communities to eliminate cancer disparities. This community-engaged approach is crucial to our understanding of the health challenges faced by those we serve, particularly those who suffer from cancer disproportionately.

A fundamental element of the cancer center’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive designation is Community Outreach and Engagement. Our research is driven by how cancer affects those living in our catchment area, which includes the state of Kansas and western Missouri, with a focus on populations who are at increased risk of developing or dying from cancer. “Catchment area” is a term used by the NCI to indicate the defined geographic area in which the cancer center concentrates its research, education and outreach efforts.

What does health equity mean? The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health defines health equity as the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.

We strive to promote health equity through the following aims:

• Identifying and monitoring the cancer burden and needs in our catchment area.
• Collaborating with the community to help focus the cancer center's research, outreach and education activities on community priorities.
• Stimulating and supporting research that addresses cancers and concerns specific to the catchment area and as guided by community stakeholders.
• Performing cancer outreach and education activities to reduce the cancer burden in our catchment area in collaboration with community partners.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center is the only academic cancer center in the state. It is located in Kansas City, a metropolitan area shared by the states of Kansas and Missouri. The cancer center’s catchment area includes all 105 counties in Kansas and 18 counties in western Missouri.

As such, the cancer center’s catchment area encompasses a diverse set of communities. This includes a rapidly growing Latino community, Black /African Americans, Native Americans, immigrant and rural communities – all of whom tend to have difficulty accessing care. For example, African American women are more likely than white   women to die of breast cancer, and rural Kansans are more likely to die of colorectal cancer compared to Kansans living in urban and semi-urban communities.

Catchment area numbers

• 4.6 million people across 92,000 square miles
• 76% of the counties are considered to be rural
• 23% of the catchment area population live in rural communities
• All but 9 counties are designated as primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas by geographic and/or considered medically underserved areas or medically underserved populations
• Four federally recognized Native American Tribes
• Over 25,000 annual cancer cases / 8,600 cancer deaths
• Most common cancers: breast, prostate, lung, colorectal and melanoma

Cancer center researchers are examining ways to reduce cancer disparities. Because the issue is so multifaceted, so are our efforts.  

Public education is an important aspect of cancer control. This includes increasing awareness of risk factors that increase the risk for developing cancer, earlier cancer detection and the research being developed to prevent and treat cancer. One of the ways the cancer center promotes education is through its weekly podcast series, Bench to Bedside. Viewers can tune in to learn about the latest research, treatment advances and screening guidelines and pose questions to experts.

Regular screening is linked to early detection, which can mean better outcomes. In some cases, screening can detect pre-cancerous conditions to prevent cancer from developing in the first place. The cancer center partners with its outreach network, Masonic Cancer Alliance, to provide screening opportunities to people living in our catchment area. For example, a community health educator works with the Black/African American community to increase awareness about colorectal cancer screening. 

Our researchers work closely community partners to facilitate community-engaged research to address the cancer burden of underserved communities across Kansas and western Missouri. Examples of our research include: 

• A catchment area health assessment survey that asks questions related to sources of medical information, financial barriers to healthcare access, health behaviors and cancer screening.
• The follow-up care of rural cancer survivors remains largely unstudied. KanSurvive connects cancer center specialists with primary care clinicians in local communities to pinpoint barriers to care and increase access to evidence-based care and resources using a shared-care model as a novel telehealth platform.
• A campaign called JUNTOS Contra el Cáncer, which involves cancer center researchers, as well as members of JUNTOS and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, seeks to increase awareness of clinical trials and biospecimen collection to empower Latinos to make informed decisions about cancer treatment. Additionally, in close partnership with leaders and patient research advocates, the cancer center launched a bilingual, culturally tailored education and awareness campaign encouraging clinical trial participation in the region’s underrepresented patient groups.
• A five-year randomized controlled trial is exploring sustainable obesity treatment options for people in rural communities.
• For decades, researchers have partnered with Swope, a federally qualified health center, to reduce tobacco use among Black/African American people. To date, more than 3,500 participants from Swope have received counseling for improving health behaviors such as cigarette smoking.

Our efforts are supported by the cancer center’s Community Advisory Board, which includes members across our communities.