The Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Program houses the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan - a resource and guide for all Marylanders on cancer control topics. The program also coordinates:
1) the Maryland Cancer Collaborative, a statewide partnership of individuals and organizations working to implement the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and reduce the burden of cancer in Maryland; and
2) the Maryland Patient Navigation Network, a statewide network of individuals who work to navigate patients through the cancer continuum.
About the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan
The Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan (MCCCP) is a resource for all Marylanders (individuals, healthcare providers, and organizations) on cancer control topics. It is also a guide for health professionals who are involved in planning, directing, implementing, evaluating, or performing research on cancer control in Maryland.
Individuals, communities, and health professionals throughout the state can use the goals, objectives, and strategies in the plan to help guide their cancer control activities. The plan's goal is to encourage collaboration and cohesiveness among these many stakeholders as they work towards reducing the burden of cancer in Maryland.
What is Comprehensive Cancer Control?
Comprehensive cancer control is a method of communities working together to control cancer by:
- reducing risk
- detecting cancers early
- improving treatment
- enhancing survivorship
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides funding to every US state, tribe, and territory for a Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. One of the roles of the program is to create and promote a Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
Structure of the MCCCP
The structure of the plan follows the definition of comprehensive cancer control, including topics on primary prevention through survivorship and palliative care. Each chapter contains goals, objectives, and strategies to serve as a guide for cancer control in Maryland. This plan will be a living document for cancer control planning in Maryland. The plan was designed with the intent of updating chapters individually as needed. This website is the central location for MCCCP information including a PDF of the plan, along with additional resources, background information, and links. Each chapter of the plan has a page on this website, which will be updated regularly as new research and recommendations are released and as implementation efforts take place across the state.
Development Process
A committee was formed for each chapter of the plan, and in general consisted of no more than 25 members including epidemiologists, healthcare providers, researchers, cancer survivors, general public and other representatives from local and state health departments, governmental agencies, community-based organizations, academic health centers, hospitals/other healthcare facilities, and cancer support groups. Nearly 250 individuals spanning 14 committees were involved in the process.
Co-chairs were selected for each of the 14 committees. The DHMH staff worked closely with the chairs to develop agendas, timelines, and materials for committee meetings and to coordinate operational matters. Over the course of several meetings, the committees reviewed materials and employed a variety of methods to accomplish their goal: to revise or write a new chapter and develop a set of recommendations to improve cancer control on their given topic. Committee members, as well as guest speakers and chapter contributors, are listed at the beginning of each chapter.
Plan Implementation
The goals, objectives, and strategies at the end of each chapter serve as a guide to all organizations in the state and show areas where additional attention is needed. Collectively, the goals, objectives, and strategies are far-reaching and complex. No one organization can carry out all of these activities. Rather, these goals, objectives, and strategies are listed as our call to action to encourage any organization involved in any aspect of cancer control to address one or more of these goals and objectives and to apply the appropriate strategies as resources and opportunities arise.
Measuring Progress
A progress report on the 2004-2008 MCCCP was created with input from the nearly 250 committee members involved in writing the new plan. Committee members reviewed the goals, objectives, and strategies of the 2004-2008 MCCCP and reported on progress known for each. After the current MCCCP was released, the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Program began to release annual Cancer Plan Progress Reports.
About the Maryland Cancer Collaborative
The goal of the Maryland Cancer Collaborative is to work with individuals and organizations throughout the state to implement the Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. In addition, the Collaborative will bring together existing groups and new partners from across the state to collaborate on a common goal: reducing the burden of cancer in Maryland. Visit the Collaborative page for more information on the activities of the Collaborative and membership.
