About Cancer 101

The Cancer 101 curriculum has come a long way!  It began in the late 90’s as a collaboration between tribes and organizations dedicated to addressing health disparities among Native people.  The vision was the creation of a tool that would be culturally relevant, increase knowledge and understanding about cancer, and empower tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest to address cancer issues.  In 2002, the vision became a reality, and since then, Cancer 101 has been used across the country with Native populations as well as other ethnic and cultural groups.

Over time, we’ve learned from personal experience, as well as from other users, that the curriculum was easy to use and that it was an effective tool to increase knowledge and awareness about cancer.  In an effort to document evidence about Cancer 101’s effectiveness, we continued to work with the Northwest Tribal Cancer Coalition to evaluate the curriculum as a community-based intervention, which was completed in 2009.  The results established Cancer 101 as an evidence-based curriculum for AI/AN that has been research tested and found to be effective. (Evaluation of Cancer 101 An Educational Program for Native Settings)  Cancer 101 is found to increase knowledge about cancer and cancer control, change attitudes towards cancer risk and risk reduction, change the way people think about cancer issues and concerns in the communities, and empower training participants to access resources to act on cancer control issues in their communities.

In working with tribal community members to evaluate the curriculum, and the Northwest Tribal Cancer Coalition Chair, we learned that there a need to address additional topics.  Those additional topics were briefly touched upon but not included in Version 1 of the Cancer 101 curriculum.  Cancer 101 (Version 2) adds this additional content.

Cancer 101, Version 2 includes the seven modules from Version 1.  Version 1 content was updated to reflect the most current information available on cancer data, screening guidelines, and risk factors.  Cancer 101, Version 2 features three new modules:  Role of Genes in Cancer, Biospecimens and Biobanking, and Chronic Conditions and Cancer.  To improve the flow of the curriculum content, these three new modules have been placed in between the original modules in the original version of Cancer 101.

The process to update and expand the curriculum included interviews, presentations and volunteer readers.  Past Cancer 101 trainees were interviewed to learn how the curriculum could be improved.  We presented the three new module topics at a Northwest Tribal Cancer Coalition meeting in May 2011 and five reviewers volunteered to read the content and provide feedback and suggested edits.  The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs offered to host a pilot session for the three new modules.  We are grateful to all the individuals who took the time to talk with us, review materials, and participate in training.  Their input has been invaluable in this process.

We are dedicated to continuing to work together with tribes in their efforts to reduce the burden of cancer.  We hope that Cancer 101, Version 2 will be a useful tool in your community.  We look forward to hearing from you as you use it.  Your feedback will help us continue to refine and improve the curriculum.

Kerri Lopez
Director, NW Tribal Cancer and NW Tribal Diabetes Projects
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Kathy Briant
Community Health Educator, Center for Community Health Promotion
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Teresa Garrett Hill
Clinical Instructor, Dept. of Psychosocial & Community Health
University of Washington School of Nursing

PAGE CREATED: November 30, 2011