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Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network Special 20th Anniversary Publication Includes MEZCOPH Researchers

Microscope research

The CDC’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, funder of the Arizona branch of the Network, published a supplemental 20th Anniversary issue of its research journal that showcases the Network’s success and includes several authors from the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona.

The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) has published a supplemental issue of its professional journal Cancer Causes and Control to mark the Network’s 20th anniversary. The special issue includes papers authored by several researchers from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. The Arizona CPCRN is housed in the Zuckerman College of Public Health and works collaboratively with the UArizona Cancer Center and many other community health providers around the state.

The CPCRN journal supplement is separated into five subthemes: (1) Addressing Equity Through CPCRN, (2) Capacity Building, (3) Partnership Engagement, (4) Rural Cancer Prevention and Control, and (5) Future Cancer Needs and Priorities. The 21 articles co-written by Network members, partners, and affiliates detail frameworks to address disparities in cancer prevention, strategies to build capacity and engagement across community partners, and considerations on working with medically underserved populations, such as rural and bicultural communities. 

The closing article, titled “The Special Sauce of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network: 20 years of Lessons Learned in Developing the Evidence Base, Building Community Capacity and Translating Research into Practice”, describes the nature and extent of collaborations within CPCRN publications and illustrates the strategies, expertise, and key structures and processes that have enabled CPCRN’s work.

The supplement was guest-edited by CPCRN members Drs. Prajakta Adsul (University of New Mexico), Cam Escoffery (Emory University), Aaron Seaman (University of Iowa), Cynthia Thomson (University of Arizona), and Stephanie Wheeler (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).

“Together, these articles represent the tremendous breadth and depth of CPCRN research products in the current funding cycle,” said Dr. Stephanie Wheeler, Principal Investigator (PI) of the CPCRN coordinating center.  “Our members have been able to generate and sustain an impressive number of novel research ideas that they have then executed through projects which have helped transform the science of cancer prevention and control.  From studies focused on reducing cancer risk exposure to ensuring timely cancer screening and early detection all the way through to optimizing guideline-concordant treatment and survivorship care, our members are invested in leveraging collaborative wisdom with community partners to achieve the best possible cancer health outcomes for all.”

As one of the Network Centers since 2019, The University of Arizona CPCRN, housed in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, is proud to have played an integral part in this publication effort and the science behind it. The college’s own Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, served as Associate Editor for the Cancer Health Equity section and UArizona authors include Dr. Thomson and Purnima Madhivanan, MD, PhD, MPH, Kristin Morrill, PhD, Melisa Lopez-Pentecost, MS, NDTR, Priyanka Raavi, MDS, and Rosi Vogel, BBA, MBA. 

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We have had the privilege to partner with The Mariposa and Chiricahua Federally Qualified Health Centers in our local efforts to improve cancer screening and wellness for cancer survivors in our Arizona communities.

Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD

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“We are excited to play a lead role in this effort and to highlight the fact that all the University of Arizona’s CPCRN local research is community-centered,” said Dr. Thomson, “We have had the privilege to partner with The Mariposa and Chiricahua Federally Qualified Health Centers in our local efforts to improve cancer screening and wellness for cancer survivors in our Arizona communities.”

The University of Arizona received an initial $1.4 million to advance cancer prevention and control science, with particular focus on the health needs of Hispanic cancer survivors. AzCPCRN has 29 members, 1 project director, 1 principal Investigator, 18 co-investigators, 4 students, 4 current scholars, and 5 scholars program alumni. AzCPCRN members have cross-center collaborations with five workgroups and four interest groups within the CPCRN including supporting the scholar's program development as well as engaging students in the local Arizona CPCRN efforts. 

In 2022, there were two UArizona CPCRN related projects where scholars participated. 1) "Use of qualitative methods to examining colorectal cancer screening in Hispanic Adults Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes". 2) "Multi-level assessment of aspects that influence equity and engagement in survivorship care and resources."

“CPCRN is the largest and longest-running thematic research network supported by CDC's Prevention Research Centers Program,” said Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “Over the past two decades, CPCRN has played a critical role in creating and translating the evidence of what works into practice, with an emphasis on alleviating differences in cancer outcomes for all populations.”

Reflecting on how the Network’s partnerships have impacted communities and policies in the past two decades, Dr. Wheeler said, “It's really about three key elements—the power of people from diverse backgrounds, working within carefully designed structures and processes, who are willing to adapt to real-world challenges like COVID19, to see beyond one research project, and to think about systems transformation that can bring about larger change.”

The supplement has been published open access by SpringerNature and the full issue is available here. Articles included in the supplement can also be individually downloaded by following the links below:

Introductory Article

Sub-Theme 1: Addressing Equity Through CPCRN

Sub-Theme 2: Capacity-Building

Sub-Theme 3: Partnership Engagement

Sub-Theme 4: Rural Cancer Prevention and Control

Sub-Theme 5: Future Cancer Needs and Priorities

Closing Article

About CRCPN

The Network was initiated in October 2002, as part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) ongoing efforts to translate research findings more effectively into practice and policy, with a special focus on the unmet needs of populations at higher risk of getting cancer and dying from it.

Over the past two decades, the Network has been successful in influencing local clinic practices, state cancer plans, and national organizations’ practices and policies. The supplemental issue of Cancer Causes and Control reflects on the Network’s successes and lessons learned.

CPCRN’s 247 current members comprise academic, public health, clinical, health system organizational, and community partners who work together to reduce the burden of cancer, especially among those disproportionately affected. The Network’s vision is to reduce the burden of cancer in U.S. populations and eliminate cancer disparities.  Focused on cancer research through a health equity lens, the Network conducts community-engaged research across eight collaborating Network centers funded by the CDC, including the Colorado School of Public Health (led by Dr. Betsy Risendal), Emory University (led by Dr. Cam Escoffery), New York University – City University of New York (led by Dr. Chau Trinh-Shevrin), University of Arizona (led by Dr. Cynthia Thomson and Dr. David Garcia), University of Iowa (led by Dr. Natoshia Askelson), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (led by Dr. Alison Brenner and Dr. Rachel Hirschey), University of South Carolina (led by Dr. Daniela Friedman, Dr. James Hébert, and Dr. Swann Adams), and University of Washington (led by Dr. Linda Ko). The UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP), hosts the Network’s coordinating center, led by Dr. Stephanie Wheeler as Principal Investigator.

In 2022, CPCRN celebrated its 20th anniversary by hosting a webinar titled "20 Years of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN): Past, Present, and Future.” The virtual event reached more than 150 total attendees, and Network member panelists shared information about collaborative work carried out across the Network.  The webinar highlighted tools and programs collectively developed and implemented across multicenter workgroups, discussed current works in progress, and explored areas for research and practice growth in implementation science.

Funding Acknowledgement

This journal supplement is a product of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). CPCRN-supported institutions receive funding support under Cooperative Agreement Numbers U48 DP006377, U48 DP006396, U48 DP006413, U48 DP006399, U48 DP006389, U48 DP006400, U48 DP006401, U48 DP006398 from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Prevention Research Center Program. The ideas expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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