Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
The Comprehensive Cancer Control Program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen efforts across Minnesota to decrease the negative impact of cancer.
Learn more about the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.
The Comprehensive Cancer Control Program collaborates closely with the Minnesota Cancer Alliance, which is Minnesota’s statewide cancer coalition, as well as with other internal and external partners at the Minnesota Department of Health and across the state. MDH staff provide the coalition with support in maintenance, development, and growth to increase coalition capacity. Coalition partners then implement the interventions.
What is comprehensive cancer control?
Comprehensive cancer control is when people from different jobs, specialties, and communities combine all their knowledge and life experiences to reduce the burden of cancer.
In Minnesota, the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program focuses on five areas:
- Healthy equity: Raising awareness about the disproportionate burden of cancer across communities. Some communities are disproportionately burdened by cancer. Learn more about health equity.
- Prevention: Working with partners such as the Minnesota Department of Health Immunization Unit and the American Cancer Society to increase vaccination rates for cancer causing infections like human papilloma virus (HPV) in Asian communities.
- Detection: Increasing screening rates for ‘screen-able’ cancers like colorectal, breast and cervical through the Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Program.
- Treatment: The Minnesota Cancer Alliance's Clinical Trial Network encourages participation from underrepresented groups in clinical trials to advance research and treatment options.
- Survivorship: Offering support groups, counseling services, and survivorship clinics to help cancer survivors cope with the physical, emotional, and practical challenges of life after cancer diagnosis through the Alliance and partners.
Cancer Plan Minnesota
Minnesota Cancer Alliance
The Minnesota Cancer Alliance is a coalition of organizations and people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer across the continuum from prevention and detection to treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care. Through connection, collaboration, and advocacy, the Alliance aims to reduce the burden of cancer in Minnesota.
The Plan
The Minnesota Cancer Alliance, in partnership with MDH, led the development of Cancer Plan Minnesota 2025: A Framework for Action (PDF).
In 2020, a Five-Year Progress Report (PDF) was published to provide a progress update halfway through the Cancer Plan implementation.
The Cancer Plan invites organizations and individuals in every sector and every region of the state to work together and make a difference for all Minnesotans.
Get Involved
Cancer Plan Minnesota depends on people taking action together. The Cancer Plan reflects the foresight and thinking of a wide variety of passionate people committed to reducing the burden of cancer in our state.
We hope you will join us!
- Join the Alliance.
- Serve on a committee.
- Participate in a network.
- Work on a strategy.
- Form a new action group or network.
- Contact a member of the Alliance.
Resources
Cancer in Minnesota data
- Learn more about the current burden of Cancer in Minnesota.
- Find data on specific cancers and how they impact Minnesotans: Minnesota Cancer Reporting Systems Cancer Statistics and Reports.
Cancer Screening Quality Improvement
The Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Program works with health care systems and clinics to increase screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers in Minnesota. Learn more about Cancer Screening Quality Improvement.
General cancer resources
Explore these trusted resources to learn more about different types of cancers, screening for cancer, preventing cancer, and more.
- Minnesota Department of Health: What is Cancer? (PDF)
- American Cancer Society: Find Your Cancer Type
- American Cancer Society: All About Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Why We Screen for Some Cancers and Not Others
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cancer Prevention and Control
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cancer Screening Tests
- Mayo Clinic: Cancer - Symptoms and Causes
- National Cancer Institute: PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Database
- National Cancer Institute: Resources for Patients
- World Health Organization: Cancer