Delaware Cancer Consortium
Issues Third Progress Report
| Year 3 Update | Disparities Report |
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The Delaware Cancer Consortium has released its third update of the Turning Commitment Into Action report. The report on "Year Three Accomplishments," was released in April 2007. It was accompanied by a supplement on disparities in cancer incidence and mortality in Delaware, An Insight Into Inequalities.
William W. Bowser, Esq., Chair of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, wrote in the introduction: "As we begin the final year of the four-year cancer plan developed by the Governor's Task Force, I am delighted to share with you that Delaware's rate of improvement for cancer mortality now leads the country!"
"We will continue to work with health care professionals, legislators and the community to ensure that all Delawareans—especially the most vulnerable among us—have access to the services they need to lower their cancer risks," said Mr. Bowser. "We know there is still a great amount of work to do. Our success to date only confirms that when we work together with tenacity and commitment, we can succeed."
Among the report's highlights:
- Cancer death rates have fallen in both Delaware and the United States since the early 1990s, but Delaware's reduction in mortality was nearly double the rate of the nation, and the gap between national and Delaware mortality rates has nearly closed.
- Colorectal cancer screening rates are up. In 2005 there was a 38% increase in the number of African Americans who reported ever having a colorectal cancer screening. Of all people surveyed, 87% said they either wanted to have a colonoscopy in the future or would have the test if their doctors recommended it.
- Funding continued for a comprehensive, statewide tobacco prevention program at levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco Prevention and Control Program efforts are resulting in significantly reduced smoking prevalence among both youth and adults.
- The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program expanded tobacco cessation services to include the web-based QuitNet and more face-to-face counseling through the Quitline. Quitline calls quadrupled because of a special promotion that provided free cessation products to participants.
- The Delaware Cancer Treatment Program, the first of its kind in the country, served more than 221 patients. The program pays for up to two years of cancer treatment for uninsured Delaware residents.
- From 2002-2006, 1,317 colonscopies were performed through Screening for Life.
- A promotional campaign for radon testing of Delaware homes generated a 300% increase in the number of pubic inquiries about radon. The Delaware Healthy Homes campaign received more than 2,400 visits to its website following the launch of the campaign.
- Screening for Life screened 1,412 uninsured or underinsured Delawareans, and removed polyps from 823 patients.
- An annual fund was established to train and place statewide cancer care coordinators who link patients with medical and support services.
- The Consortium continued to focus on closing gaps for disparity groups.
The current report, and the previous two annual reports, are available in PDF and text-file formats:
- The 2007 Report, Turning Commitment Into Action: Year 3 Accomplishments (PDF file)
- Read a text file of the 2007 Report
- 2007 companion document: An Insight Into Inequalities (PDF file)
- Text file of the Inequalities companion document
- Download the year-two accomplishments report PDF file.
- A text version (.txt) of the year-two report is also available.
- Download the first-year accomplishments report PDF file.
- This report also can be downloaded as a text file.
The Delaware Advisory Council on Cancer Incidence and Mortality first published its recommendations for fighting cancer in Delaware in a report, published in April 2002, called Turning Commitment Into Action. That original report is still available in PDF format.
Please note: Some of the files available on this page are in Adobe PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded directly from Adobe . If you are using an assistive technology unable to read Adobe PDF, please either view the corresponding text only version (if available) or visit Adobe's Accessibility Tools page.
