Black History Month at Capital Breast Care Center
Through a grant sponsored by the American Cancer Society and Pfizer Inc., Capital Breast Care Center has embarked on an integrated multi-level, community-engaged approach to increase adherence to guideline-concordant mammography screening and genetic testing among Black women and Black breast cancer survivors in order to address disparities in breast cancer mortality in the District of Columbia (DC) metropolitan. Achieving Cancer Equity through Identification, Testing and Screening (ACE-ITS) is a transdisciplinary collaborative effort that includes breast cancer researchers from Georgetown Lombardi’s Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research (OMH) and the Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) program; oncologists and primary care physicians at Georgetown MedStar facilities and Unity Health Care; patient navigators at the Capital Breast Care Center (CBCC); and ongoing collaborations with the DC Department of Health through the Project WISH (Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program); and community-based organizations that represent the interests of Black women and breast cancer survivors in the DC metropolitan area. These include the Thelma Jones Breast Cancer Fund, a nonprofit grassroots organization that promotes early detection strategies for breast health led by Ms. Thelma Jones, a breast cancer advocate and a trained volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN); and the African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association, led by Ms. Ify Nwabukwu, a breast cancer survivor dedicated to the promotion of breast health awareness among women of African origin. The goal of this work aligns closely with the mission of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center to prevent, treat and cure cancers by linking scientific discovery, expert and compassionate patient care, quality education and partnership with the community — guided by the principle of cura personalis, “care for the whole person.”
Resources:
“Know Your History, Know Your Risk: Saving Black Lives from Breast Cancer”