Cancer Alliance of Texas
Mission
To engage organizations, agencies, institutions, and individuals to work collaboratively to reduce the impact of cancer in Texas and promote the Texas Cancer Plan.
History
In 1998, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. This funding allowed DSHS to implement the state’s cancer control plan through the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. DSHS also partnered with the Texas Cancer Council, now known as the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to form the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition (the Coalition). The Coalition helped cancer control organizations across the state collaborate and communicate with one another.
In 2003, DSHS and the Texas Cancer Council agreed that the Texas Cancer Council administer the Coalition. In 2008, DSHS resumed administration of the Coalition.
In 2009, the Coalition celebrated its 10th anniversary and changed its name to the Cancer Alliance of Texas (CAT). Today, CAT has more than 100 active members, representing more than 50 cancer control organizations in Texas. These organizations include cancer centers, academic institutions, medical facilities, local health departments, government agencies, and community-based organizations.
Priority Area Workgroups (PAWs)
Members of CAT work together to lessen the impact of cancer by participating in PAWs focused on:
- Primary prevention
- Screening and early detection
- Quality of life of cancer survivors
- Reducing cancer disparities
Today’s PAWs include the Tobacco Control, Cervical Cancer Elimination, Screening and Early Detection, Disparities, and Survivorship. Some of their recent accomplishments include:
- Developing training resources for health care providers and professionals on screening and cessation of e-cigarette use among youth and young adults.
- Modifying Texas Tobacco Quitline protocols to refer lung cancer screening eligible quitline participants to Project CONNECT’s lung cancer screening patient decision aid tool.
- Conducting surveys and disseminating results among health care professionals to identify and raise awareness of gaps and barriers to breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer screenings.
- Developing training resources for members of CAT on best practices for addressing non-medical drivers of health.
- Developing and hosting trainings for community health workers/promotores to address the needs of cancer survivors.
Are you interested in joining CAT?
Membership is open to any individual who commits and contributes to the mission of CAT. Those seeking membership should complete and submit a membership application.