Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition Plan 2006-2011:
Reducing and Eliminating Suffering and
Death Caused by Cancer

In 2005, an estimated 570,280 Americans died of cancer.  In Massachusetts, that number reached about 13,720 (ACS, 2005).  But cancer need not be a death sentence.  Advances in medicine now enable many people to live years beyond their diagnoses.  Unfortunately, not all residents of the Commonwealth have equal access to quality cancer treatment and care.  If we are to extend the number of cancer survivors, we must eliminate all barriers to optimal health and medical care.  We must also promote the message and facilitate the practice of prevention.  According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 60% of cancer cases could be avoided altogether through improvements in diet and exercise, stopping tobacco use, and making other lifestyle changes. 

In Massachusetts, public health workers, health care providers, academic institutions, researchers, community organizations, and cancer survivors are working together as members of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition.  We know that cancer is too big an issue for any one group to tackle alone.  Our mission is to reduce and end the suffering and death caused by cancer.  After many months of hard work, we produced an extensive report on cancer in Massachusetts that includes specific goals with outcome measures and strategies to reduce the impact of the disease on the Commonwealth’s residents.  (You can request a copy of that plan by emailing mcccc@state.ma.us).  Reducing and Eliminating Suffering and Death Caused by Cancer the Massachusetts Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition Plan 2006-2011 (the Plan) is the summary of that document.  It is for all Massachusetts residents who care about reducing the burden of cancer.  It is designed to raise awareness of the scope of the cancer problem and to spur concrete action to combat it.

The Plan is organized into the following content areas:

• prevention
• early detection
• survivorship
• treatment
• palliative care
• end of life
• surveillance, evaluation and putting research into practice

Each content area contains background information, goals, strategies, and outcome measures.  The outcome measures are targets against which we track progress on each specific goal.  Strategies are broad based approaches that may be implemented differently throughout the state.  The strategies are evidence-based, that is, supported by research.  In instances where not enough is known, we have crafted strategies to further data collection and research.  This plan will be discussed at regional meetings where participants will select strategies that will have the greatest local impact.  The strategies will then be developed into actions with specific outcome measures.  By thinking together, working together, and sharing information and resources, we will be able to reduce or eliminate death and suffering caused by cancer.