Roswell Park's Department of Indigenous Cancer Health adapts National Cancer Institute’s colorectal screening program

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Dr. Haring is also the program lead on a National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant that is culturally tailored (Indigenized) to promote awareness and knowledge of colorectal cancer and screening in both Indigenous and rural communities across a sector in the Northeastern United States. Indigenous and rural community outreach teams partnered with our Indigenous Community Advisory Board to provide an Indigenized/ruralized version of the NCI’s Screen to Save program delivered to both Indigenous rural/suburban communities. William Maybee, community outreach coordinator and health educator, led the efforts. Findings demonstrated that Indigenous/rural participants in off-territory or non-reservation communities that received a culturally tailored version of NCI’s colorectal screening program were able to identify smoking and tobacco use, and lack of physical activity as risk factors for colorectal cancer. Participants were also likely to increase physical activity. Most importantly, participants were more likely to get screened for colorectal cancer and talk with family and friends about their colorectal cancer screening experience. One area for future consideration involves greater integration of Indigenous-rural patient navigation programs into Indigenous-rural healthcare systems.