Nearly 7 million people live in Massachusetts. A majority of residents have higher levels of income and education compared to the country, and more of them are covered by health insurance than any other state. As a result, residents of Massachusetts have better health overall than most people in the U.S.
Despite these relatively positive numbers, Cancer has become the leading cause of death among Massachusetts residents. Massachusetts rates of cancer incidence and mortality are higher than the U.S. overall. Within the state, cancer rates vary by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic region.
But the true burden of cancer goes beyond statistics. Cancer affects people in many ways:
The Harvard cancer community brings together research, clinical care, and community outreach to address the effects of cancer on all Massachusetts residents. This report highlights some of the work we are doing to improve the health of Massachusetts residents by:
Harvard institutions support a variety of activities that reach out to communities to limit the burden of cancer to Massachusetts residents. These include:
Despite these relatively positive numbers, Cancer has become the leading cause of death among Massachusetts residents. Massachusetts rates of cancer incidence and mortality are higher than the U.S. overall. Within the state, cancer rates vary by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic region.
But the true burden of cancer goes beyond statistics. Cancer affects people in many ways:
- Financially (having trouble paying bills, skipping medication to save money)
- Emotionally (depression, anxiety)
- Long-term health effects (subsequent cancers, chronic diseases)
- Effects on parents, children, families, caretakers, and others around the person who has/had cancer.
The Harvard cancer community brings together research, clinical care, and community outreach to address the effects of cancer on all Massachusetts residents. This report highlights some of the work we are doing to improve the health of Massachusetts residents by:
- Assessing cancer’s effects on our population and identifying priorities for action
- Engaging with others to address cancer in Massachusetts
- Researching and discovering the best approaches to reducing the effects of cancer
Harvard institutions support a variety of activities that reach out to communities to limit the burden of cancer to Massachusetts residents. These include:
Resources for Cancer Patients and Survivors
Young and Strong: A Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer (DFCI) |
|
ASK About Skin Cancer |
|
BRIDGE: Proactive Psychiatry Consultation and Case Management for Patients With Cancer |
|
BIDMC Cancer Center Cancer Support Services |
|
BIDMC Cancer Center Patient Navigator Services |
|
MGH Cancer and High Risk Specialty Patient Navigation |
|
DFCI Patient Navigator Program |
|
Dana-Farber Community Cancer Care - Whittier Street Health Center |
|
DFCI Cancer Care Equity Program |
|
The Lazarex-MGH Cancer Care Equity Program |
|
Dana-Farber Community Cancer Care |
|
MGH Cancer Center Community Providers |
Research Studies and Resources
Breast Cancer WEight Loss Study (BWEL Study) |
|
PREMM5 Lynch Syndrome Prediction Model |
|
Improving Informed Consent for Palliative Chemotherapy |
|
Aspirin for Breast Cancer (ABC) clinical trial |
|
DF/HCC - UMass Boston U54 Partnership |
|
Metastatic Breast Cancer Project |
|
Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) |
|
Nurses' Health Study |
|
Physicians' Health Study |
|
Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) |
|
DF/HCC Brain SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Breast Cancer SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Gastrointestinal Malignancies SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Kidney Cancer SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Multiple Myeloma SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Myeloid Malignancies SPORE |
|
DF/HCC Prostate Cancer SPORE |
|
Harvard Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer Center |
|
PanScan, the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium |
|
AACR Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) |
|
Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process (PROSPR) |
|
Androgen Ablation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer (CHAARTED) |
|
NCI-MATCH Trial (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) |
|
Harvard Lung Cancer Study (LCS) |
|
Pancreatic Cancer Circulating Biomarker (Pan-C2-Bio) Consortium |
|
IRONMAN Registry (Prostate Cancer) |
|
DFCI Center for Prevention of Progression of Blood Cancers (CPOP) |
Resources for the Community
Value |
|
Planet MassCONECT |
|
MGH Collaborative Care and Community Engagement Program |
|
DFCI Community Outreach |
|
MGH Center for Community Health Improvement |
|
BIDMC Community Benefits |
|
BIDMC's Community Health Centers |
|
BCH Community Mission |
|
BCH Community of Care Locations |
|
DF/HCC Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities (IECD) |
|
DF/HCC Cancer Disparities Student Training Programs |
External Links
External Links |