LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky Cancer Consortium’s latest Kentucky Cancer Action Plan is a nearly 80-page document that focuses on health inequities, reducing cancer risk, early detection, survivorship, treatment, care, and reducing childhood cancer. More than 100 organizations across the state are working together to make a difference.
Kentucky Cancer Consortium's report says that health insurance coverage, treatment advancements, and risk reduction have improved. However, disparities -- including income, education, and location still exist and contribute to health challenges.
Elaine Russell is the program’s director. She explains, "Some people still have transportation problems, some people have problems accessing a doctor, and some people still have problems with medical bills."
The Kentucky Cancer Action Plan -- or KY CAP -- is looking to break down barriers that impact marginalized communities. The first action plan was released in 2006. Now, this one is looking at what can be done through 2030.
Russell says, "We know that we have better treatment now, and we know what to do. So, the more that we can get people screened early and know that they have healthy lifestyles we can make sure that cancer becomes a chronic disease and not a death sentence."
So what are the numbers? There are around 4.5 million people in the commonwealth. Of that, nearly 30,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year, and more than 10,000 cancer deaths.
"Nobody wants to hear those words that 'you've been diagnosed with cancer'. And hopefully with continued work together that we could make the word cancer less scary,” says Russell.
The goal is to get more communities resources and services, promote more health behaviors, up screenings, and increase access to high quality care.
Russell says, "We have partners working together around tobacco treatment, smoke free communities, around radon testing, HPV testing for children -- or HPV vaccines. So, there's a lot of things that we can do to continue to make those health outcomes improve."
From 2017 to 2021, across all races and genders, Kentucky was among the states with the highest rates of cancer in the U.S. Lung, colorectal, and breast cancers were the most common. Kentucky was also among the highest in mortality rates from 2018 to 2022. The action plan seeks to continue bringing organizations together to get those numbers down.
