Spirit of Eagles

American Indian/Alaska Native Leadership Initiative on Cancer

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations have very high incidence rates for specific cancer sites and poor survival rates for most cancers. This AI/AN Leadership Initiative on Cancer addresses comprehensive tribal cancer control through partnerships with The Network for Cancer Control Research among AI/AN populations, tribes, multiple cancer centers, Cancer Information Services (CIS), and the American Cancer Society (ACS). This Initiative will assist tribes to:

1. Increase community awareness and understanding of cancer
2. Provide training in cancer control research for AI/AN researchers
3. Improve native community channels to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) so that research can be specifically focused on issues that affect native people

The specific aims to support these goals include the following:

• Building infrastructure to support a nationwide AI/AN Initiative
• Increasing the number of AI/AN researchers, scientists, and medical students involved in cancer control activities in AI/AN communities
• Developing, implementing and assessing cancer education among AI/AN community members and their health care providers
• Strengthening collaboration of AI/AN communities with NCI, CIS and ACS
• Increasing the number of AI/AN patients in clinical trails (prevention, screening, treatment and supportive care)
• Providing feedback to the NCI on community-based priorities in the national cancer program

These efforts should measurably increase awareness of the problem of cancer among AI/ANs and result in increased early detection of cancer. It also may increase the number of AI/AN patients seeking clinical trials. The research methods include established successful cancer control techniques through the Native Researchers Training Program, development of grants ($10,000 to $20,000) to tribes, specific scope of work agreements with CIS and coordination with ACS.

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