Disparities Projects

Enhancing and Teaching [EAT] 5 for Life Project
Investigator: Shirley Beresford
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: Nutrition

The Enhancing And Teaching [EAT] 5 for Life Project is funded by the National Cancer Institute. This study is a randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to maintain change in companies that have already received an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption (the Seattle 5 a Day Worksite Program).The goal of the EAT 5 for Life Study is to continue the behavior of increased fruit and vegetable consumption for long term, without research office dependence. The intervention is designed to help worksites adopt 5 a Day activities as part of their standard operating procedures in order to reinforce and maintain dietary behavior change. The randomized controlled trial involves a majority of the same worksites that participated in the Seattle 5 a Day Worksite Project. Seventeen of the original Seattle 5 a Day intervention worksites were randomized to maintenance intervention or control. Eleven of the original comparison worksites and eleven new worksites received the Seattle 5 a Day Intervention. Thirty-nine worksites were randomized to maintenance or control. Participating worksites are in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

All companies are primarily manufacturing and service industries. EAT 5 for Life maintenance intervention worksites reestablished Employee Advisory Boards (EAB). These groups of employees were trained to identify the needs of their worksite in order to implement 5 a Day activities best suited for their worksite. Hutchinson Center staff train EAB members and provide technical assistance to support the implementation of work-sponsored dietary activities. The evaluation compares change at the worksite level in servings of fruits and vegetables, assessed using independent cross-sectional samples of employees at two time points: the new baseline and 24-month follow-up

Move and Moderate in Balance (MOVE'M): A TREC Worksite Health Study
Investigator: Shirley Beresford
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: Nutrition, Physical Activity

This study recruited small worksites located in underserved communities in south-central Seattle. Overall objective is to develop and evaluate an intervention that will maintain or decrease body mass index by influencing the worksite environment, including policies and procedures, by increasing worksite access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities and promoting individual behavior change, through increasing awareness of energy balance; building a physical activity intervention that will promote increased levels of energy expenditure through the combination of increased daily physical activity and regular structured exercise; and building a dietary intervention that will promote decreased calorie intake. 

Screening Mammography and Latinas: A Multilevel Intervention
Investigator: Shirley Beresford
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Hispanic women
Study Focus: Screening

An intervention project that seeks to increase screening for breast cancer among Latinas. Its goal is to address multi-level social determinants to both increase screening and to decrease barriers to screening. It will examine the influence of neighborhood characteristics and community cohesion on breast cancer screening. 

Addressing Psychosocial Disparities in Rural Hispanic Cancer Survivors
Investigator: Rachel Ceballos
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Hispanic breast and reproductive cancer survivors
Study Focus: Survivorship

To develop a Spanish-language support program based in Social-Cognitive Theory for rural Hispanic survivors of female reproductive cancer and to evaluate the program using psychosocial and biological outcomes. 

African American Cancer Survivor Needs Assessment
Investigator: Rachel Ceballos
Population Focus: African American
Specific Population: African American breast cancer survivors
Study Focus: Survivorship

To assess the emotional and information support needs and resources of African American cancer survivors in the Puget Sound region. Also, to assess what factors are associated with those needs and resources. To develop a culturally-competent survivor support program for African-African breast cancer survivors 

Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI)
Investigator: Bonnie Duran
Population Focus: American Indian/Alaska Native
Specific Population: AI/AN
Study Focus: Other

Aimed at marshaling community, tribal, academic, and governmental resources toward innovative, culture-centered interdisciplinary, collaborative social and behavioral research and education. 

NARCH V- Research for Change: Cross-Site Multicultural Community-Based Participatory Research
Investigator: Bonnie Duran
Population Focus: American Indian/Alaska Native
Specific Population: AI/AN
Study Focus: Other

An in-depth investigation of promoters and barriers to Community-Based Participatory Research in AI/AN communities and other under-served populations in order to improve health status and health equity 

Risk Factors for Triple-negative and HER2-overexpressing Breast Cancer among Hispanic Women and Non-Hispanic Women
Investigator: Christopher Li
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Hispanic women
Study Focus: Prevention

To explore the reproductive factors, anthropometric measures, mammographic density, and family history of breast cancer, related to risks of TN and H2E breast cancer in Hispanic v. non-Hispanic women 

The Legacy Project
Investigator: Niles Eaton
Population Focus: African American, Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: African American and Hispanic
Study Focus: Other

The Legacy Project works collaboratively with the all DAIDS-funded HIV clinical trials networks. The Legacy Project will focus on three key objectives in the design and implementation of its projects and activities:

- Enhancing cultural competency and responsiveness within the DAIDS-funded HIV clinical trials networks and building relationships of trust with African-American and Latino communities within the U.S. to enhance participation of African-Americans, Latinos, and Latinas in DAIDS-funded HIV clinical trials.

- Fostering the continuum and critical linkages from testing, to referral to and entry into care, and an awareness of the opportunities to participate in clinical research, and

- Facilitating the referral of people who test HIV-negative to local HIV prevention programs and an awareness of opportunities to participate in HIV prevention trials.

Investigator: Hannah Linden
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: Clinical Trials

Working with HMC and SCCA to improve cancer care and access to clinical trials for vulnerable patients; collaborates with Ethnomed and Community House Calls programs

Metabolic Response to Western vs. Indigenous Diets in Hispanic Women
Investigator: Marian Neuhouser
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Mexican and Mexican-American women
Study Focus: Genetics, Nutrition

To test the metabolic response to Western and Indigenous Mexican diets in Hispanic women and investigate whether ancestral genetic variation mediates the response to each diet. 

The CARE Study - A multicenter study of risk factors for breast cancer in White and Black U.S. women
Investigator: Kathi Malone
Population Focus: African American
Specific Population: African American women
Study Focus: Genetics, Screening

The CARE Study is a multicenter study (other sites: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit and Atlanta) in White and Black women ages 35-64 designed to assess a number of factors including racial and age-related variation in effects of breast cancer risk factors, mammographic efficacy, and genetic susceptibility. Malone led the genetic susceptibility work which assessed risk in relation to mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes as well as in other genes. This was the first large-scale (and population-based) effort to characterize the prevalence and risk related to BRCA1/2 in African-American women (Malone, 2006). Analyses and manuscript development are ongoing. 

Investigator: Peggy Porter
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Hispanic women
Study Focus: Genetics

Primary aim is to determine the relationship between tumor subtype and ancestry in Hispanic women with breast cancer by a.) determining the tumor subtype by gene expression array; b.) determining ancestry through ancestry informative markers (AIMs); and c.) comparing tumor subtype with individual ancestry as defined through AIMs. 

A Multi-State Study of Cancer Treatment and Outcomes among American Indians
Investigator:  Scott Ramsey
Population Focus: American Indian/Alaska Native
Specific Population: AI/AN cancer patients
Study Focus: Treatment, Survivorship

This project links clinical information, health care claims, and outcomes data for AI/AN cancer patients in CA, OR and WA. This resource will be used to evaluate adherence to cancer treatment and post-treatment surveillance for AI/AN Medicaid and Medicare enrollees diagnosed with lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, cervical, ovarian and stomach cancer. 

Graduate Training in Cancer Research and Health Disparities
Investigator: Steve Schwartz
Population Focus: All
Specific Population: Under-represented Minorities
Study Focus: Other

The primary objective of this pilot project is to develop and offer opportunities for 1) graduate students at New Mexico State University to obtain enhanced training in population-oriented cancer research, and 2) graduate students at the FHCRC to obtain didactic and practical experience about cancer health disparities. 

Evaluation of a Hepatitis B Outreach Intervention
Investigator: Vicky Taylor
Population Focus: Asian Cambodian American
Study Focus: Other

Conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically appropriate lay health worker outreach intervention in improving levels of hepatitis B testing completion among Cambodians. 

HPV Vaccination in a Cambodian Community
Investigator: Vicky Taylor
Population Focus: Asian
Specific Population: Cambodian American
Study Focus: Prevention, Other

The study goal is to conduct mixed-methods research that could be used to inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of culturally appropriate HPV vaccination interventions targeting Cambodian women with daughters in the 9-17 age group. The primary objectives are: to provide qualitative data relevant to the promotion of HPV vaccine use in Cambodian communities; and quantitative data about the uptake of HPV vaccination among Cambodian adolescents, as well as correlates of HPV vaccine uptake. A recent review of HPV vaccine surveillance in the US found no publications addressing the reliability of self-reported HPV vaccine uptake. The secondary objective is to assess the test-retest reliability of survey measures addressing HPV vaccine uptake in a Cambodian study group. 

Physical Activity in the Cambodian Community: An Exploratory Study
Investigator: Vicky Taylor
Population Focus: Asian Cambodian American
Study Focus: Physical Activity

To provide information about physical activity among adult Cambodian Americans that could be used to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate physical activity interventions. 

 Relationship of breast cancer subtype, risk factors and ancestry in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women

 Administrative Supplement to Expand NCI-Supported Community Outreach Capacity through a Community Health Educator
Investigator: Beti Thompson, Larry Corey
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Medically Underserved
Specific Population: Hispanics, Native Americans, Medically Underserved
Study Focus: Prevention

Implement a pilot project to address health disparities around colorectal cancer by adapting Cancer 101 for colorectal cancer (CRC) and pilot testing it. We will also supplement the educational resource testing with community health fair events that provide education about CRC through the use of a huge inflatable colon. 

Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research: Reducing Pesticide Exposure in Children of Farm Workers
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: Other

To explore the biochemical, molecular and exposure mechanisms that define children and adult's susceptibility to pesticides 

Center for Hispanic Health Promotion: Reducing Cancer Disparities
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native
Specific Population: Native American, Hispanic
Study Focus: All

To reduce cancer disparities in the Hispanic and Native American populations in Yakima and Franklin counties of Eastern Washington. 

Community Health Educator Administrative Supplement (AKA Cancer 101 Supplement)
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native
Specific Population: Native American, Hispanic
Study Focus: All

To update and expand the Cancer 101 curriculum, develop a generic template for adapting the curriculum to any population, and adapt and translate the curriculum for the Spanish-speaking Hispanic population in the Yakima Valley of WA State. 

Geographical Management of Programs (GMaP)
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: Screening, Prevention

To develop state-of-the-art regional networks dedicated to the support and management of cancer health disparities research, training and infrastructure. The GMaP initiative has provided funding to 4 community organizations across the western region to conduct colorectal cancer prevention and screening education to underrepresented populations. 

Health Disparities Research Center
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: All

The mission of the Health Disparities Research Center (HDRC) is to create an initiative designed to enhance collaboration with and among Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance programs and systems for the purpose of eliminating cancer health disparities. 

Improving Breast Cancer Screening at the Primary Care Level
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Chilean women
Study Focus: Screening, Prevention

To help identify effective strategies that can be used by clinics to motivate women to seek mammograms 

Partnership for a Hispanic Diabetes Prevention Program
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Hispanic
Study Focus: Other

To establish community infrastructure to address diabetes experienced by Hispanics in rural areas 

Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research NMSU - FHCRC
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: All
Study Focus: All

The overall goal of the partnership between the FHCRC and NMSU is to expand our current regional cancer program to increase knowledge and attention to cancer-related health disparities among disadvantaged populations. Specifically, this collaboration will: 1) build and enhance cancer research at NMSU; 2) increase attention to health disparities at FHCRC; and 3) train underrepresented students as well as junior faculty to fill cancer research positions throughout the nation. 

Understanding and Preventing Breast Cancer Disparities in Latinas
Investigator: Beti Thompson
Population Focus: Hispanic/Latino
Specific Population: Latina women
Study Focus: Genetics, Screening

The long-term goal of the project is to understand the precursors of breast cancer in Latinas, understand the types of breast cancer found in this population, and develop and implement a comprehensive screening program to improve early detection of the disease.