1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. cancer

Comprehensive Cancer Control:
HOW TO USE THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER
CONTROL PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT
Why promote CCC?
Who are we trying to reach?
Even though Comprehensive Cancer Control
(CCC) is not a new concept to many in
the cancer community, there remain key
organizations and individuals who know little
or nothing about the benefits of CCC. Thus,
one of the most important reasons to promote
CCC is to raise awareness.
The CCC Promotional Toolkit content is aimed
at three target audiences:
§ Public health and medical leaders.
§ Advocates.
§ The cancer control community.
Considerations when promoting CCC
You can do this by:
§ Ensuring that everyone engaged in CCC is
speaking with one voice about the benefits
and outcomes of collaboration.
§ Using messages that are clear, consistent, and
simple.
§ Repeating these messages often, in many
different venues.
What is in this promotional toolkit?
The CCC Promotional Toolkit will help you
clearly and effectively promote the simple
message that collaboration creates positive
outcomes. The tools and template materials
included are intended to stimulate your ideas
and support your efforts in communicating
the benefits of CCC to your constituents.
This Toolkit includes the following materials:
§ How to Use the Comprehensive Cancer
Control Promotional Toolkit.
§ Key Messages.
§ PowerPoint Presentation.
§ Fact Sheet.
§ Supporting Data.
§ Quote List.
§ How to Develop a Program-in-Action Story.
§ Print Ads.
§ Poster.
§ Resource List.
§ Labels/Stickers.
When promoting CCC, take the audience’s
point of view into account. Focus on the
benefits that the particular audience cares
about, and keep your messages simple and
consistent. Use multiple channels and venues
to promote CCC (such as posters, fact sheets,
print ads, mailings, conferences, meetings, and
events). Think about how many people you
reach and the frequency with which you do so.
When you plan your promotional activities, try
to reach the largest number of people possible
with a steady stream of messages.
Benefits of promoting CCC
There are numerous benefits to participating
in and promoting CCC, both for you and
other members of your coalition:
A united front is more powerful.
Comprehensive Cancer Control offers the
power of collaboration to what otherwise
might be a lonely fight. The result is a
powerful network of groups speaking with
one voice about reducing cancer risk, detecting
cancers earlier, improving access to quality
cancer treatment, and improving quality of
life for cancer survivors.
Working together is more efficient. By putting
Comprehensive Cancer Control plans into action,
coalitions prevent overlap and direct resources
to where they matter most in every state,
and in many tribes and U.S. territories.
Collective action creates new allies. People
from all corners of the cancer community
are gaining new allies by participating in
Comprehensive Cancer Control. This allows
them to pool resources, share expertise, and
gain new insights into better ways to get the
job done.
Coalitions can tackle cross-cutting issues.
A united front against cancer can tackle major
issues—like better access to quality care,
survivorship, health disparities, and quality of
life—that are too broad and cross-cutting for
any one organization to confront alone.
What can we use to reach these audiences?
There are many ways to use each Toolkit
component to inform people about CCC.
The Toolkit materials have a consistent look
and feel, offer flexibility, and are adaptable for
a variety of uses.
Key Messages
Clear messages about CCC are captured in
the Key Messages piece. Use them in speeches/
presentations, leave-behind packets, newsletter
articles, and other communication and
outreach activities. The message list also is
useful as a quick reference, as talking points
for conference calls and meetings, and for
media outreach.
PowerPoint Presentation
Use this tool to open the door to potential
coalition members and cancer stakeholders in
your state/tribe/territory. The presentation
defines CCC and its key messages, outlines the
role of CDC and other national partners, offers
clear examples of successful programs in various
states, includes quotes from leaders, and shows
how organizations and individuals can get
involved. Some states already have their own
PowerPoint presentations. However, this tool
can be used as is, or to enhance what you have
created. Consider showing this presentation for
kickoff sessions at community meetings; for
one-on-one meetings, view it on a laptop.
Fact Sheet
This handy, two-page synopsis explains what
CCC is, why it developed, how it works,
and what it accomplishes. It also outlines
the benefits of CCC. This tool includes
information appropriate for all audiences,
and may be used in part, as is, or incorporated
into news releases, newsletter articles, letters,
presentations/speeches, and other outreach
materials. It is easy to photocopy, send as an
e-mail message attachment, or place in the
body of an e-mail.
Supporting Data
This fact sheet provides current data on CCC
outcomes and underscores the need for
reducing behaviors that can lead to cancer. To
make your messages more powerful, use the
data to supplement news releases, articles,
letters, and speeches. Consider mailing this
with the fact sheet to local media, advocates,
and health organizations. Keep in mind that
you should update these statistics periodically
by going to the listed sources for new data.
You also may add data from other sources,
highlighting local statistics that will help you
make the case for CCC in your area.
Quote List
In a series of compelling quotes, national leaders
and advocates share their perspectives on the
importance of CCC activities. The quotes may
be included (with attribution and without
alteration) in presentations and speeches,
discussions, newsletters, and other materials,
to help you illustrate the wide-ranging interest
in and far-reaching commitment to CCC. You
may modify quotes and attribute them to your
own spokespeople or leadership.
How to Develop a Program-in-Action Story
Programs-in-action stories illustrate the
“what” of CCC. They show the tangible
results of your work. Audiences will not
care about how CCC works if they cannot see
what it is accomplishing. Your own story is
one of the most compelling and effective
documents you can use to promote CCC.
Use this guide to help you develop your
own program-in-action story, and disseminate
it to the media; at meetings, events, and
conferences; and in newsletters.
Print Ads (4 versions)
Collectively, the print ads represent the mosaic
of Comprehensive Cancer Control. The ads
introduce CCC visually and may be placed in
journals, magazines, newspapers, information
packets, and mailings. Also, consider using
them as flyers, on Web sites, and in newsletters.
Poster
The poster represents visually the outcomes of
CCC. Use it at conferences, meetings, and
events, or on bulletin boards at workplaces.
Resource List
This tool will help you gather information
from and share ideas with your cancer
colleagues across the United States.
Appropriate for a range of audiences, the list
has information about CDC’s national CCC
partners, and includes contact information for
state/tribal/territorial CCC programs. This piece
is useful as an internal reference, in information
packets for the media, for distribution at
conferences, or as a leave-behind at events.
Labels/Stickers
Print these templates for CCC logo
labels/stickers in color or black & white on
any computer printer, and use them with your
materials to demonstrate your affiliation with
CCC. Pre-scored, printer-ready labels are
available at local office supply stores. The
medium-sized stickers are designed for use as
customizable mailing labels or name tags at
your events; the largest are intended as labels
for information/media packets. Personalize the
stickers with your CCC program’s logo, name,
and/or Web address, or incorporate the CCC
logo into your electronic or print materials.
Using the materials
As you adapt these tools and templates, please
forward electronic or hard-copy examples you
create to CDC, which may offer them to others
as samples. CDC contact information is on the
last page of this document.
By sharing access to these materials with
others, you can empower other coalition
members to reach their networks. Challenge
yourself to look beyond your “tried and true”
outreach methods.
Guidance on local tagging of the materials
The enclosed materials are designed to provide
a national perspective on CCC. They also show
that the state/tribal/territorial CCC programs
are part of a larger CCC initiative. Therefore,
many of the materials have been designed with
extra space at the bottom of the first page to
allow CCC programs to incorporate their
specific logos and contact information (local
tagging). Specifically, we recommend that CCC
programs consider adding their local tags to
the Key Messages, Fact Sheet, Quote List, Print
Ads, Poster, and Resource List.
Guidance on using the CCC logo
Logo Colors
Color version
The color version of
the logo is teal and
black, as seen here.
Black version
This logo is best for
one-color print jobs,
when printing on a
black-and-white laser
printer, or with a light,
solid color background.
White version
This logo will look
best on a dark, solid
background such
as black.
Color codes for graphics experts
When these color choices are not available,
use the best possible match.
§ Teal
ú Spot color: PMS 7473
ú CMYK values for four-color process
printing:
Cyan: 70
Yellow: 38
Magenta: 0
Black: 8
ú RGB numbers for color selection in
Microsoft programs:
Red: 71
Green: 168
Blue 136
§ Black
ú Spot color: PMS Black
ú CMYK values for four-color process
printing:
Cyan: 0
Yellow: 0
Magenta: 0
Black: 100
ú RGB numbers for color selection in
Microsoft programs:
Red: 0
Green: 0
Blue: 0
Logo Format
The CCC logo always must be used without
distorting or altering the shape, proportions,
letters, or colors.
You may use either the full logo with the
tagline or just the image, as seen below. You
may not use the logo with any tagline other
than the one below.
Logo with tagline:
Logo without tagline:
Logo Size and Clear Space
To maintain legibility, the CCC logo should
not be used in a size smaller than one inch in
length. When placing design elements near
the CCC logo (i.e., other logos, photographs,
or illustrations), maintain a comfortable
amount of clear space so as not to crowd
the CCC logo.
Logo Files
§ EPS: For professional and high-end printing,
use the high-resolution logo (EPS version).
§ JPG: Low-resolution files (JPGs) are acceptable
for electronic materials, such as Web pages,
PowerPoint presentations, or Word documents.
All versions and formats of the logo are
provided on the enclosed CD-ROM.
Guidance on printing and use of CDC materials
The enclosed CD-ROM includes electronic
versions of all materials included in this
Toolkit.
Following are guidelines for reproduction of
the items included in this Toolkit:
§ Materials that are reproduced exactly as
CDC originally developed them (or with
the sole addition of your program’s logo)
may be distributed as CDC documents
with all logos intact.
§ All final versions of reproduced materials/
products must be reviewed and approved by
CDC prior to printing and distribution.
§ When the materials/products are ready for
CDC review, please forward them to the
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
and allow 5 business days for the review
process following receipt by CDC.
§ If the materials are modified in any way
(i.e., adding or deleting information), they no
longer can be considered CDC documents.
This means they may not feature any CDC or
government-related logos, or resemble the original
product. However, the materials may state that
the information contained was supplied by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
§ The information contained in the materials may
be used in other publications and attributed to
CDC (i.e., “The information contained in this
document was provided by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.”).
CDC contact
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
4770 Buford Highway, N.E., MS K-64
Atlanta, GA 30341
Phone: 770-488-4751
Fax: 770-488-4760
cdc-info@cdc.gov
www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp
For more information
For more details about CDC’s National
Comprehensive Cancer Control Program,
visit www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
Comprehensive Cancer Control: FACT SHEET
What CCC is
Comprehensive Cancer Control is a collaborative process through which a community pools resources to reduce the
burden of cancer that results in:
§ Risk reduction.
§ Early detection.
§ Better treatment.
§ Enhanced survivorship.
Why CCC developed
Not very long ago, cancer was a death sentence. This began to change with passage of the 1971 National Cancer Act,
which established the government’s commitment to cancer research. The resulting research, which focused on
particular cancer sites (breast, lung, prostate, etc.), led to a greater understanding of how cancer works, tests for
detecting cancer earlier, and better treatments.
While this “site-specific” approach is necessary for success, it is not sufficient to address the nation’s cancer
burden; not when many Americans with cancer:
§ Are diagnosed with cancers that could have been prevented.
§ Are diagnosed with late-stage disease.
§ Do not have access to or receive recommended treatment.
§ Do not experience optimal quality of life.
For these reasons, state and national organizations began a decade ago linking cancer prevention and control programs
to fight cancer more effectively.
How CCC works
CDC’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) provides initial funds to help states, tribes,
and territories:
§ Establish CCC coalitions.
§ Assess the burden of cancer.
§ Determine priorities.
§ Develop and implement CCC plans.
As of Spring 2006:
§ All 50 states, the District of Columbia, 6 territories, and 6 tribes/tribal organizations receive support from CDC for CCC
programs (63 programs total).
Far right photo courtesy the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, © Clark James
§ 44 states, tribes, and territories have completed cancer plans and are putting their plans into action.
§ Coalitions of local leaders from inside and outside the cancer community are reaching across
traditional divides to make CCC a reality in communities across the nation.
What CCC accomplishes
Comprehensive Cancer Control helps communities across the nation:
§ Reduce cancer risk, by encouraging people to
§
§
§
§
ú Avoid tobacco use.
ú Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
ú Maintain a healthy weight.
ú Exercise regularly.
ú Limit alcohol consumption.
ú Protect themselves from environmental risks (i.e., sun exposure).
Detect cancers earlier by
ú Promoting recommended cancer screening guidelines and tests.
ú Educating people about possible cancer signs and symptoms.
Improve treatment by
ú Increasing access to quality cancer care.
ú Increasing participation in clinical trials.
Decrease health disparities by
ú Ensuring equal access to, and delivery of, quality cancer care.
ú Increasing health care providers’ cultural competence.
Enhance quality of life for cancer survivors by addressing physical, psychosocial, and practical issues.
The benefits of CCC
A united front is more powerful. Comprehensive Cancer Control offers the power of collaboration to what otherwise
might be a lonely fight. The result is a powerful network of groups that speaks with one voice about reducing cancer
risk, detecting cancers earlier, improving access to quality cancer treatment, and improving quality of life for
cancer survivors.
Working together is more efficient. By putting Comprehensive Cancer Control plans into action, coalitions prevent
overlap and direct resources to where they matter most in every state, and in many tribes and U.S. territories.
Collective action creates new allies. People from all corners of the cancer community are gaining new allies by
participating in Comprehensive Cancer Control. This allows them to pool resources, share expertise, and gain new
insights into better ways to get the job done.
Coalitions can tackle cross-cutting issues. A united front against cancer can tackle major issues—like better access to
quality care, survivorship, health disparities, and quality of life—that are too broad and cross-cutting for any one
organization to confront alone.
How to learn more
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp, http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov, or www.cancerplan.org.
Comprehensive Cancer Control: KEY MESSAGES
A united front is more powerful.
Comprehensive Cancer Control offers the power of collaboration to what otherwise might be a lonely fight. The result
is a powerful network of groups that speaks with one voice about reducing cancer risk, detecting cancers earlier,
improving access to quality cancer treatment, and improving quality of life for cancer survivors.
Working together is more efficient.
By putting Comprehensive Cancer Control plans into action, coalitions prevent overlap and direct resources to where
they matter most in every state, and in many tribes and U.S. territories.
Coalitions are the backbone of Comprehensive Cancer Control.
Leaders from inside and outside the cancer community are forming coalitions in every state, and in many tribes and
U.S. territories. These coalitions reach across traditional divides to make Comprehensive Cancer Control a reality in
communities across the nation.
Success depends on grassroots collaboration.
Comprehensive Cancer Control programs reach out to people who have a stake in relieving the cancer burden in their
communities, and motivate them to take coordinated action in every state, and in many tribes and U.S. territories.
Collective action creates new allies.
People from all corners of the cancer community gain new allies by participating in Comprehensive
Cancer Control. This allows them to pool resources, share expertise, and find new insight into better ways
to get the job done.
Coalitions can tackle cross-cutting issues.
A united front against cancer can tackle major issues—like better access to quality care, survivorship, health
disparities, and quality of life—that are too broad and cross-cutting for any one organization to confront alone.
Collaboration yields results.
Comprehensive Cancer Control contributes to reducing cancer risk, detecting cancers earlier, improving access to
quality cancer treatment, and enhancing quality of life for cancer survivors. These results help us reach our ultimate
goal of reducing the burden of cancer.
Far right photo courtesy the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, © Clark James
Comprehensive Cancer Control: QUOTE LIST
“Public policy and advocacy are as important to controlling cancer as are scientific
advances. Research, advocacy, education, and service delivery are all needed to get us to
our ultimate goal of a cancer-free world. This is Comprehensive Cancer Control. We’re
reaching across disciplines, uniting to conquer cancer.”
John Seffrin, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
American Cancer Society
“As a National Partner and on behalf of our more than 1,400 approved cancer programs,
the Commission on Cancer (CoC) is dedicated to a unified and global strategy toward
Comprehensive Cancer Control, providing a mechanism to work in a cohesive manner to
realize the ultimate goal of cancer prevention and cure.”
Frederick L. Greene, MD, FACS
Chair
American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer
“A stakeholder- and data-driven comprehensive cancer control plan is the pivotal platform
from which a wide range of cancer care issues can be systematically addressed.”
Gary L. Gurian
Director
C-Change
“Comprehensive Cancer Control means collaborating to conquer cancer. Federal, state,
county, and local communities are coming together—unified by a plan, resolved to act—
to ease the burden of cancer, now.”
Eddie Reed, MD
Director, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“To the ICC, Comprehensive Cancer Control means speaking with one voice, acting with
one mind, caring with one heart—working together to eliminate cancer disparities.”
Armin D. Weinberg, PhD
Co-Founder
Intercultural Cancer Council
Far right photo courtesy the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, © Clark James
“To enhance the quality of life of people affected by cancer, a collaborative, comprehensive
approach to addressing the cancer continuum is imperative. Together, we can positively
impact the physical, emotional, and practical challenges of cancer survivorship.”
Mitch Stoller
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lance Armstrong Foundation
“Comprehensive Cancer Control partners are critical to conquering cancer—success
always comes when people work together.”
John Robitscher
Executive Director
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
“NACCHO knows it takes all people and all sectors working together for any community
to effectively address cancer control.”
Michael C. Caldwell, MD, MPH
Immediate Past President
National Association of County and City Health Officials
“NCI’s Challenge Goal to the nation is to eliminate the suffering and death due to
cancer. To achieve this will require the commitment and collaboration of all members
of the cancer community—researchers, advocates, public health experts, health care
providers, and survivors. Together we are a force that combines the best of science,
medicine, and health care. Through efforts such as Comprehensive Cancer Control,
we will provide the means to prevent, control, and eliminate cancer.”
John Niederhuber, MD
Deputy Director
National Cancer Institute
Comprehensive Cancer Control:
RESOURCE LIST
National resources
National Comprehensive Cancer
Control Program
www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp
§ Features detailed information about CDC’s
National Comprehensive Cancer Control
Program and related activities, as well as state,
tribal, and territorial program contacts; state
cancer profiles; and numerous resources for
cancer control planning efforts.
Cancer Control PLANET
http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov
§ Provides access to Web-based resources to
assist planners, program staff, and researchers
in designing, implementing, and evaluating
cancer prevention and control programs.
CancerPlan.org
www.cancerplan.org
§ CancerPlan.org enables state and community
cancer control planners to share resources and
tools to develop, implement, and evaluate
Comprehensive Cancer Control plans.
National partners
American Cancer Society
National Home Office
1599 Clifton Road, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30329-4251
(800) 227-2345
www.cancer.org
American College of Surgeons,
Commission on Cancer
633 North Saint Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611-3211
(312) 202-5085
www.facs.org/cancer
C-Change
1776 Eye Street, N.W., Suite 900
Washington, DC 20006
(800) 830-1827 or
(202) 756-1600
www.cchange.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion
4770 Buford Highway, N.E., MS K-64
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717
(770) 488-4751
www.cdc.gov/cancer
Intercultural Cancer Council
6655 Travis, Suite 322
Houston, TX 77030-1312
(713) 798-4617
http://iccnetwork.org
Lance Armstrong Foundation
P.O. Box 161150
Austin, TX 78716-1150
(512) 236-8820
www.livestrong.org
National Association of
Chronic Disease Directors
2872 Woodcock Boulevard, Suite 220
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 458-7400
www.chronicdisease.org
National Association of
County and City Health Officials
1100 17th Street, N.W., Second Floor
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 783-5550
www.naccho.org
National Cancer Institute
Division of Cancer Control
& Population Sciences
6130 Executive Boulevard
EPN 6144
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 594-7294
www.cancercontrol.cancer.gov
State/Tribal/Territorial partners
For up-to-date contact information for states,
tribes, and territories involved in
Comprehensive Cancer Control, visit
www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER
CONTROL
RISK
REDUCTION
Communities across the nation are uniting to ease
the burden of cancer. This is Comprehensive Cancer
Control. Together, we can reduce cancer risk by
encouraging people to avoid tobacco use, eat a
balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, exercise
regularly, and limit alcohol consumption. Find out
more at www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER
CONTROL
EARLY
DETECTION
Communities across the nation are
uniting to ease the burden of cancer.
This is Comprehensive Cancer Control.
Together, we can detect cancers earlier
by promoting recommended cancer
screening guidelines and tests, and
educating people about the possible
signs and symptoms of cancer. Find out
more at www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER
CONTROL
BETTER
TREATMENT
Communities across the nation are uniting to ease the burden
of cancer. This is Comprehensive Cancer Control. Together,
we can improve cancer treatment by increasing people’s
access to quality cancer care and promoting recommended
cancer treatment guidelines and practices. Find out more at
www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER
CONTROL
ENHANCED
SURVIVORSHIP
Communities across the nation are uniting to ease
the burden of cancer. This is Comprehensive Cancer
Control. Together, we can enhance quality of life
for cancer survivors by addressing their physical,
psychological, and practical needs. Find out more
at www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER CONTROL
RISK
REDUCTION
EARLY
DETECTION
BETTER
TREATMENT
ENHANCED
SURVIVORSHIP
Communities across the nation are uniting to ease the burden of cancer.
This is Comprehensive Cancer Control. Together, we can reduce cancer
risk, detect cancers earlier, improve cancer treatment, and enhance quality
of life for cancer survivors. Find out more at www.cdc.gov/cancer/ncccp.
Comprehensive Cancer Control:
HOW TO DEVELOP A
PROGRAM-IN-ACTION STORY
Why Program-in-Action stories are important
A short, compelling story about a specific accomplishment will say more about your program
than will a ream of statistics.
Stories illustrate the “what” of Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC). They show the
tangible results of your work. Audiences will not care about how CCC works if they cannot see
what CCC is accomplishing.
Choosing an activity to highlight
Before you begin writing, ask yourself the following questions about the activity you want to
highlight.
§ Does this activity illustrate what CCC is doing or rather how you’re doing it?
ú Stories that illustrate the what are more powerful. They show your audience a link between
CCC and people with cancer.
ú Building a coalition is important work, but a story about coalition-building says more about
how you’re getting things done than what you’re getting done. Your audience wants to know
what the coalition is doing for people with cancer.
§ Who benefits from the activity? If you can point to a clear beneficiary, your story will be stronger.
§ Can I quantify the benefits of this activity? When you illustrate results with numbers, your story
becomes more compelling.
Checklist of elements to include
When writing your story, make sure you include all the following elements.
§ CCC program name.
§ Title of the activity.
§ Statement of the public health problem.
§ Activity description (include beneficiary/target audience and partners).
§ Results (quantify these, when possible).
§ Statement that explains how CCC made the project/results possible.
§ Conclusion and implications for future work.
§ Contact information.
Style reminders
§ Get to the point right away—preferably in the first sentence.
§ Use plain language.
§ Keep paragraphs short, and keep stories to fewer than 500 words.
§ Stick to the facts. Do not interject an opinion unless you attribute it to someone.
§ Avoid using passive voice (i.e., “screening was conducted”). Be clear about who is doing the action
in every sentence.
§ Write descriptive titles.
§ Include direct quotes, but only if they’re interesting.
§ Limit use of acronyms. If you use acronyms, spell them out on first mention.
§ Avoid using public health jargon and scientific terms.
“Inverted Pyramid” format
When writing your story, keep in mind the inverted pyramid format. Journalists often follow this
format when writing a news story. They put the most important information at the top, the next
most important point below that, the next most important point below that, and so on. Instead
of building to a climactic ending, news writers lead with the conclusion. They want readers to be
able to stop reading at any point after the first sentence and know the story. The details and
background information are at the end of the story—or the tip of the pyramid—because they
only support the main idea.
Lead paragraph includes the most important information;
reading this is critical to understanding the story or article.
Second and third paragraphs develop the idea introduced
in the lead paragraph.
Subsequent paragraphs supplement the story with less-essential
information, and may include quotes and other supporting data.
Concluding paragraphs contain non-essential information
that is not required to understand the overall story or article.
Example of a Program-in-Action story
Delaware Program Pays for Cancer Treatment for People
Who Can’t Afford It
In Delaware, a cancer diagnosis no longer means financial ruin
for people without health insurance, thanks to a new program
that pays treatment costs for those who are uninsured and do
not qualify for Medicaid. This is good news for a state with
some of the highest cancer rates in the country. In fact,
between 1998 and 2002, people in Delaware were diagnosed
with cancer at a rate 4.1 percent higher than the estimated
U.S. rate. During that same time period, people in Delaware
died at a rate 6.9 percent higher than the U.S. rate.
The first sentence should
give the most important
information: the what,
when, who, why, and where.
This paragraph also explains
the public health problem.
“No Delawarean should die from cancer because they make too
much money for Medicaid but not enough to afford health
insurance,” Governor Ruth Ann Minner explained at the
program’s kickoff in July 2004. “We want to make Delaware a
leader in fighting cancer in this way.”
To qualify for assistance, a person must 1) be a Delaware
resident, 2) have been diagnosed with cancer on or after July 1,
2005, 3) have no comprehensive health insurance, and 4) have
a household income less than 6.5 times the federal poverty
level. That means the income for a family of four must be less
than $125,775. The program will pay for treatment for up to
one year.
Between July 2004 and February 2006, the Delaware Cancer
Treatment Program paid treatment costs for 182 cancer patients
and built the infrastructure to sustain the program. First, the
state established a system for billing and payment. Then, it set
aside an annual allocation to pay for “cancer care coordinators,”
in each of the state’s six major health systems. Cancer care
coordinators are available to every person diagnosed with
cancer in Delaware. The coordination program links and
maintains systems for the multidisciplinary care of all cancer
patients. Other services include education for health care
providers who give end-of-life care.
None of this would have been possible without the dedicated
members of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, according to
Kathleen Russell, director of cancer prevention and control for
the state’s Division of Public Health. The Consortium includes
leaders from inside and outside the cancer community, who
reach across traditional divides to address issues that affect all
Delawareans dealing with cancer. Not only did the Consortium
write the treatment program into Delaware’s Comprehensive
Cancer Control plan, but it also promoted the idea with
decision makers, including Governor Minner.
A strong supporter of the comprehensive approach to fighting
cancer, Governor Minner says that coordination is the key to
easing the burden of cancer in Delaware. The Delaware
Cancer Treatment Program is one of many initiatives that
the state’s Comprehensive Cancer Control plan outlines.
More information about the treatment program is available
at www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/catreatment.html.
To learn about Delaware’s Comprehensive Cancer Control plan,
visit www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/consortium.html.
Direct quotes can make a
story more interesting.
Describe the activity
succinctly, and explain who
benefits from the activity.
Use numbers to quantify
results.
Information about HOW the
activity came about should
appear near the end of the
story, because it’s
background information.
Include a statement about
the future, as well as contact
information at the end of
the story.
Tips for effective communication
Successful promotion of comprehensive cancer control depends on how well you communicate
with your audiences. Whether you are writing a newsletter article, developing a program-inaction story, drafting a letter to a medical society, or making a presentation, the tips below will
help make your communication as effective as possible.
Determine the target audience and look at things from the audience’s point of view.
§ Select a segment—a group whose members have something in common.
§ Tailor communication to this audience segment.
Stay focused on benefits the audience cares about.
§ Determine what the audience members care about and articulate what’s in it for them.
§ These benefits may differ from benefits you care about.
Keep messages simple and consistent.
§ Messages should be short and basic, and should get to the point right away.
§ If various respected people deliver the same messages, using the same words, then the
momentum builds.
Use multiple sources and spokespeople.
§ Audiences listen to messages and spokespeople from sources they respect.
§ Different audiences perceive different sources and spokespeople as credible; what resonates with
one audience might not resonate with another.
§ For these reasons, use multiple sources and spokespeople to deliver messages.
Consider reach and frequency.
§ Target the largest number of people possible with a steady stream of messages (reach).
§ Most people must hear a message several times before it becomes compelling (frequency).
Comprehensive Cancer Control:
SUPPORTING DATA
Comprehensive Cancer Control contributes to reducing cancer risk, detecting cancers earlier,
improving access to quality cancer treatment, and enhancing quality of life for cancer survivors.
Risk reduction
The following statistics highlight the need for reducing behaviors that can lead to cancer.
§ Evidence is overwhelming that lifestyle factors affect cancer risk:
ú Tobacco use causes cancers of the lung, oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, bladder,
kidney, and pancreas.
ú Consumption of large amounts of fruits and vegetables have been linked with a
lower risk of cancer.
ú Obesity increases the risk of breast, endometrial, colorectal, kidney, and esophageal cancer.
ú Regular physical activity lowers the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, and possibly
endometrial cancer.
ú Regular alcohol intake increases the risk of cancers of the oropharynx, larynx, esophagus,
breast, liver, colon, and rectum.
Institute of Medicine’s National Research Council. Cancer Prevention and Early Detection, 2003.
ú Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays may be the most important environmental factor
involved in the development of skin cancer.
Centers for Disease Control. www.cdc.gov/cancer/nscpep/awareness.htm. Accessed November 2005.
§ An estimated 22.5% of adults in the United States (46 million people) smoke cigarettes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics; Health, United States, 2003, with Chartbook on
Trends in the Health of Americans.
§ 22.9% of high school students and 10.1% of middle school students in the United States
smoke cigarettes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco use among middle and high school students—United States, 2002.
MMWR. 2003;52:1096-1098.
§ Each day in the United States, nearly 4,400 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years
initiate cigarette smoking.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Trends in Initiation of
Substance Abuse.
§ 30% of adults in the United States are obese, and the percentage of young people in this country
who are overweight has more than doubled during the past 20 years, to 16%.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity Web Site:
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_dnpa.htm (based on CDC, 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data).
§ More than 50% of U.S. adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits,
and more than a third of young people in grades 9–12 do not regularly engage in vigorous
physical activity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity Web site:
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_dnpa.htm (based on CDC, 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data).
§ In 2003, only about one-fourth of U.S. adults ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits
and vegetables each day.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity Web site:
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_dnpa.htm (based on CDC, 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data).
§ Nearly 15% of adults in the United States report having consumed five or more drinks on one
occasion during the previous month.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2004.
§ As many as one-third of the more than 570,000 cancer deaths estimated for 2005 will be related to
nutrition, physical inactivity, and overweight or obesity.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures, 2005.
Early detection
As of 2005, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends:
§ Screening mammography, with or without clinical breast examination, every 1–2 years for women
aged 40 years and older.
§ Screening for cervical cancer with cervical cytology (Pap smears) in women who have been
sexually active and have a cervix.
§ Screening for colorectal cancer in men and women aged 50 years and older.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Recommendations and Rationale for cancer screening, available at
www.ahrq.gov/clinic/cps3dix.htm#cancer. Accessed November 2005.
Despite these recommendations:
§ Among U.S. women aged 40 years and older, 61% of those with no usual source of health care,
67% of those with no health insurance, and 61% of those who immigrated to the United States
within the previous 10 years reported not having a mammogram within the previous 2 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
§ Among U.S. women aged 25 years and older, 58.3% of those without a usual source of health care,
62.4% of those with no health insurance, and 61% of those who immigrated to the United States
within the previous 10 years reported not having a Pap test within the past 3 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
§ Only 41% of men and 37.5% of women aged 50 years and older reported having been screened
for colorectal cancer within the previous 5 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
§ Cancers that can be prevented or detected earlier by screening account for about one-half of all
cancer cases in the United States.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
§ Many cancer deaths could be avoided if more people were screened for breast, colorectal, and
cervical cancers.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Recommendations and Rationale for screening for breast cancer (February 2002),
colorectal cancer (July 2002), and cervical cancer (January 2003).
Encouraging statistics that show progress in early detection:
§ Among U.S. women aged 40 years and older, 70.1% reported having a mammogram within the
previous 2 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
§ Among U.S. women aged 25 years and older, 82.4% reported having a Pap test within the
previous 3 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 National Health Interview Survey.
Better treatment
The following statistics describe who is—and who is not—receiving treatments recommended by
a 1994 National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference and subsequent clinical trials.
§ The likelihood that a person will receive the recommended therapy for cancer decreases with age.
This may be due in part to the fact that many Medicare beneficiaries who have cancer do not
consult with specialists (medical oncologists).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society. 2005 Annual Report to
the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2002, Featuring Population-Based Trends in Cancer Treatment.
§ In 2000, researchers found that women with node-positive breast cancer were less likely to receive
the recommended treatment if they were over the age of 65 years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society. 2005 Annual Report to
the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2002, Featuring Population-Based Trends in Cancer Treatment.
§ In 2003, researchers found that women with stage III or IV ovarian cancer were less likely to
receive guideline-based treatment if they lacked private insurance or were over the age of 65 years.
This may be because only 30% of female Medicare beneficiaries have their ovarian cancer resection
performed by a gynecologic oncologist.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society. 2005 Annual Report to
the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2002, Featuring Population-Based Trends in Cancer Treatment.
§ Factors such as race, socioeconomic status, geographical location, and place of treatment have
been associated with receipt of the recommended treatments for lung cancer. For example, in
2004, researchers found that white patients with high socioeconomic status were substantially
more likely to receive surgery for stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer than were black patients.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society. 2005 Annual Report to
the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2002, Featuring Population-Based Trends in Cancer Treatment.
The following statistics describe barriers to access to recommended treatment.
§ Surveillance data on patterns of cancer care have highlighted gaps in dissemination of treatments,
and possible disparities in receipt of cancer care by age, race, and type of health plan.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society. 2005 Annual Report to
the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975–2002, Featuring Population-Based Trends in Cancer Treatment.
§ In 2002, approximately 37.7% of office-based physicians did not accept new charity cases,
23.5% did not accept new Medicaid cases, and 13.8% did not accept new Medicare cases.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2002.
§ In 2004, approximately 14.8% of people in the United States did not have health care coverage.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System.
§ More than 50% of cancer patients were covered by Medicaid and Medicare from 1994–1996.
National Cancer Policy Board, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. Ensuring Quality Cancer Care, 1999.
Enhanced survivorship
Cancer survivors may face long-term physical, psychosocial, and emotional effects of diagnosis
and treatment. The following statistics highlight the importance of addressing these issues with
the nation’s growing number of cancer survivors.
§ As of January 2002, there were approximately 10.1 million cancer survivors in the United States.
National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2002.
§ The number of cancer survivors in the United States increased steadily during the past three
decades, from 3.0 million (1.5% of the U.S. population) in 1971 to 9.8 million (3.5%) in 2001.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer Survivorship—United States 1971–2001. MMWR. 2004;53:526-529.
§ In the absence of other competing causes of death, an estimated 64% of adults whose cancer was
diagnosed during 1995–2000 could expect to be alive 5 years after diagnosis, compared with 50%
for those whose cancer was diagnosed during 1974–1976.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer Survivorship—United States 1971–2001. MMWR. 2004;53:526-529.
§ Among children (aged 14 years), 79% of cancer survivors during 1991–2000 were expected to be
alive at 5 years and approximately 75% at 10 years, compared with 56% expected to live 5 years
after diagnosis during 1974–1976.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer Survivorship—United States 1971–2001. MMWR. 2004;53:526-529.
Health disparities
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Minority Health and
Health Disparities, life expectancy and overall health have improved in recent years for most
Americans. However, Americans are not benefiting equally. The following statistics are examples
of how specific population groups experience disproportionate rates of incidence, prevalence,
mortality, survival, risks, and treatment.
§ There is a significant gap in screening use among:
ú Individuals with no usual source of care.
ú Uninsured people.
ú Recent immigrants.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Interview Survey, 2000.
ú Racial and ethnic minorities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality.
ú People with limited income.
ú Rural Populations.
Singh GK, Miller BA, Hankey BF, Feuer EJ, Pickle LW. Changing area socioeconomic patterns in US cancer mortality,
1950–1998: Part I—All cancers among men. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94:904-15.
Singh GK, Miller BA, Hankey BF. Changing area socioeconomic patterns in US cancer mortality, 1950–1998: Part II—Lung
and colorectal cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94:916-25.
§ African Americans are more likely than any other racial/ethnic group to develop and die from cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality.
§ For further information regarding health disparities in cancer, visit the Intercultural Cancer
Council’s Web site at http://iccnetwork.org.
For more information on how to address the issues of risk reduction, early detection, better
treatment, enhanced survivorship, and health disparities, visit www.thecommunityguide.org and
www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm.
These statistics are updated periodically; refer to the sources listed to check for new data.
Visit http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov or www.cancerplan.org for local data and resources.
Comprehensive Cancer Control:
LABELS/STICKERS
The CD-ROM contained in the Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC)
Promotional Toolkit includes electronic label/sticker templates that may
be personalized and printed on pre-scored, printer-ready labels.
The labels/stickers are designed to print in each of the following formats:
For use on mailings, folders, and your existing printed materials.
Dimensions: 2.625˝ x 1˝
For use as customized mailing labels or as name tags at your events.
Dimensions: 4˝ x 2˝
For use as labels on information/media packets.
Dimensions: 4˝ x 3.33˝