Community Health Education for Cancer

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Disqualifiers: Unwilling or unable to follow protocol

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

200 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate how a workshop called I CAN can help communities in Western New York take action to reduce cancer rates. The workshop educates participants about social networks (how people connect and influence each other) and the impact of cancer in the area. It includes activities to build skills and motivate individuals to make a difference. Those over 18, who can speak English, and are ready to participate might be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to community health and cancer prevention efforts.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this community health education intervention is safe?

Research has shown that programs like the I CAN workshop effectively improve actions that help prevent cancer. The I CAN workshop includes educational activities designed to empower community members to take action against cancer.

No specific information exists about side effects or safety concerns related to the I CAN workshop. However, as an educational session rather than a medication or medical procedure, it is generally considered safe. Participants attend a two-hour session that includes learning and skill-building exercises, which typically do not pose health risks.

Overall, the I CAN workshop aims to inspire and equip people to reduce cancer risk in their communities, focusing on education and empowerment. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

The I CAN intervention is unique because it focuses on empowering individuals through a community health education approach to cancer prevention, rather than directly targeting the disease with medication or medical procedures. Unlike traditional treatments that often involve surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, I CAN emphasizes education and behavioral change, which can be a proactive and non-invasive way to reduce cancer risk. Researchers are excited about this trial as it could lead to more accessible and sustainable prevention methods, highlighting the importance of lifestyle and community support in combating cancer.

What evidence suggests that the I CAN intervention is effective for reducing the cancer burden?

Research has shown that educational programs can help lower cancer rates. Studies have found that teaching people about cancer increases awareness and knowledge, leading to more screenings. Early detection often results in better outcomes. A review found that education methods respecting cultural differences are particularly effective in boosting cancer awareness and screenings. Additionally, teaching about social factors affecting health has increased cancer screening rates by an average of 8.4 percentage points. These findings suggest that the I CAN program, experienced by participants in this trial through a workshop, could empower individuals to take steps that may reduce cancer rates in their communities. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Elizabeth Bouchard, MD

Principal Investigator

Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 in Western New York who are interested in participating in a community health education program to help reduce cancer burden. Participants must understand English and be willing to follow the study's procedures.

Inclusion Criteria

Able to participate in English

I am over 18 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants attend an I CAN intervention workshop over 2 hours

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for feasibility, practicality, and acceptability of the intervention

Up to 2 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• I CAN

Trial Overview The I CAN intervention being tested includes workshops with presentations on social networks and cancer, skill-building activities, and motivational exercises aimed at encouraging community action against cancer.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Prevention (I CAN intervention) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants attend an I CAN intervention workshop over 2 hours.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Lead Sponsor

Trials

427

Recruited

40,500+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention on self-care and knowledge among 80 colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with outcomes measured before and after a two-month follow-up.

If successful, this intervention could improve self-care activities and potentially reduce the risk of malnutrition and enhance quality of life for patients during chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Empowering patient education on self-care activity among patients with colorectal cancer - a research protocol for a randomised trial. Tuominen, L., Ritmala-Castrén, M., Nikander, P., et al.[2021]

Patient education significantly improves compliance with therapeutic regimens in chronic disease management, with an average improvement of 0.67 sigma over control groups, indicating a strong effect.

While patient education also leads to improvements in physiological progress (0.49 sigma) and health outcomes (0.02 sigma), the most effective strategies involve behaviorally-oriented programs that focus on changing the patient's environment rather than just increasing knowledge.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does patient education in chronic disease have therapeutic value? Mazzuca, SA.[2019]

Educating cancer patients about their condition and treatment can enhance their autonomy and improve treatment compliance, leading to better overall care during complex and long-term therapies.

This education should be supported by well-trained practitioners and include written and video resources, with a focus on evaluating its effectiveness and cost-benefit to ensure improvements in treatment quality and patient experience.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Education of cancer patients]. Hoerni, B., Soubeyran, P.[2017]

A community-based hospital in Maryland identified a high to moderate risk of cancer among its employees, particularly for cervical, skin, and breast cancers, based on a 31-item cancer risk assessment.

The results of this assessment will help in creating targeted cancer education and screening programs for hospital employees, addressing the specific risks identified.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Integrating cancer risk assessment into a community health nursing course. Phillips, JM., Belcher, AE.[2015]

A community-based colorectal cancer prevention program in Houston successfully engaged 1054 participants from Hispanic and Asian populations through culturally tailored workshops, highlighting the importance of adapting health education to diverse communities.

The program's structure, consisting of 33 classes across nine sites over 9 months, demonstrates feasibility and sets a foundation for future cancer prevention initiatives in multiethnic areas.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and Feasibility of a Community-Based, Culturally Flexible Colorectal Cancer Prevention Program. Raber, M., Huynh, TN., Crawford, K., et al.[2022]

A health education campaign was successfully organized by the University of Southampton and Southampton Health Education Service to promote early reporting of breast cancer symptoms.

The campaign's detailed preparation and implementation process is documented, providing valuable resources for other organizations looking to conduct similar health education initiatives.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

'Don't take a chance': a public campaign to encourage the early reporting of breast symptoms. Christmas, P., Nichols, S.[2019]

A community health worker (CHW)-delivered cancer education program significantly improved knowledge about colorectal cancer screening among 637 participants in a medically underserved area of Appalachian Kentucky, with scores rising from 4.27 to 4.57 after the intervention (p < .001).

The program also led to an increase in participants asking their healthcare providers about colorectal cancer screening, from 27.6% at baseline to 34.1% at follow-up (p = .013), demonstrating the effectiveness of CHWs in promoting health awareness and engagement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of community health workers in providing outreach and education for colorectal cancer screening in Appalachian Kentucky. Feltner, FJ., Ely, GE., Whitler, ET., et al.[2022]

A cancer control curriculum was successfully implemented for seventh-grade African-American students, enhancing their understanding of cancer risks and promoting positive health attitudes.

The project highlighted the importance of community partnerships in education, revealing additional support needs for students with family members affected by cancer.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A culturally appropriate cancer education program for African-American adolescents in an urban middle school. Barg, FK., Lowe, JI.[2022]

A patient education program developed for cancer patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy significantly improved knowledge about their treatment, achieving posttest scores well above the target of 75% correct answers.

The study involved 72 patients with lung, breast, or prostate cancer, and demonstrated that patients who received the education programs showed true learning effects, particularly in understanding treatment side effects and management strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increasing patients' knowledge of radiation therapy. Mood, DW., Cook, CA., Chadwell, DK.[2019]

Internet-based education significantly improved patients' knowledge levels more than face-to-face education with a nurse in a study involving 147 ambulatory orthopedic surgery patients.

Both education methods were effective in enhancing knowledge, but there was no difference in the sufficiency of knowledge between the two groups, indicating that online education is a viable alternative in ambulatory care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients' knowledge with internet-based education. Heikkinen, K., Leino-Kilpi, H., Salanterä, S.[2017]

Cancer patients are generally aware that chemotherapy increases their risk of foodborne infections, but they often do not connect this awareness to their food handling practices, indicating a need for targeted education.

Focus group feedback revealed that while patients were receptive to food safety education resources, skepticism about the risks of high-risk foods and personal preferences could hinder compliance with safety recommendations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Discovery and development of educational strategies to encourage safe food handling behaviors in cancer patients. Medeiros, LC., Chen, G., Hillers, VN., et al.[2023]

Community outreach events for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can motivate individuals to seek or obtain screening, with 26.7% of participants who were due for screening doing so within 3 months after attending an event.

However, many attendees were already compliant with screening guidelines, indicating that these events may not effectively reach those most in need of screening, particularly if priority audiences are not specifically targeted.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Results from an Evaluation of the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program's Community Education and Outreach Events, 2013. Woodruff, RC., Hermstad, A., Honeycutt, S., et al.[2019]

Only about 9.3% of calls to the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service discussed clinical trials, but this rate was higher among patients (12.5%) and family members (15.4%), indicating a need for increased awareness and education about clinical trials.

Certain groups, including Hispanics, Blacks, and Spanish speakers, were less likely to discuss clinical trials, highlighting disparities in access to information and the importance of targeted outreach to improve participation rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Discussions of cancer clinical trials with the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service. Byrne, MM., Kornfeld, J., Vanderpool, R., et al.[2022]

A community-based participatory research study developed a culturally-appropriate training program for community health workers (CHWs) in South Florida, which significantly improved their knowledge about breast cancer and early detection among Latinx immigrant farmworkers.

The training intervention was effective in engaging the target community, as evidenced by sustained knowledge gains among CHWs and positive feedback from community members during health fairs, highlighting the importance of community involvement in designing health education programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Community-based participatory design of a community health worker breast cancer training intervention for South Florida Latinx farmworkers. Rodriguez, NM., Casanova, F., Pages, G., et al.[2023]

Cancer patients and their caregivers are at a higher risk of foodborne infections, highlighting the need for effective food safety practices and targeted information to protect this vulnerable group.

Qualitative research involving 35 chemotherapy patients and caregivers revealed a preference for traditional paper-based resources over digital ones, suggesting that a combination of formats, delivered by trusted healthcare professionals, could enhance understanding and adherence to food safety guidelines.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing Existing Food Safety Resources with United Kingdom-Based Chemotherapy Patients and Family Caregivers for Future Learning Purposes. Evans, EW., Redmond, EC.[2023]

Citations

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Mixed methods evaluation of implementation and outcomes in ... This mixed-methods study aimed to characterize implementation of a community-based cancer prevention program using the Consolidated Framework ...

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The effectiveness of health education interventions on ... Educational interventions can increase cervical cancer awareness, knowledge, and screening. · Peer health and culturally tailored methods are usually most ...

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Social determinants of health and US cancer screening ... SDOH interventions increased screening rates overall by a median of 8.4 percentage points (interquartile interval, 1.8–18.8 percentage points).

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Prevention, Cancer Screening, and Early Diagnosis HDRP funds research to improve health care delivery practices that support evidence-based cancer prevention, screen detection, and early diagnosis.

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Evidence-Based Intervention Reference Guide: Cancer ... This is a guide to evidence-based interventions relevant to cancer prevention and screening quality improvement projects. This document was ...

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Evidence-Based Interventions | Cancer Evidence-based interventions are strategies that are proven to work. For cancer screening, these interventions improve the quality of cancer screening.