2022 – 2027 State Cancer Plan
Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs
Louisianans continue to get sick from and die from cancer more than most states. While we have improved relative to other states, there is much work to do–LA has the 6th worst rate of new cancers (NCI/CDC State Cancer Profiles, 2014-2018) and the 7th highest cancer death rate (NCI/CDC State Cancer Profiles, 2015-2019). As in the past, this plan covers cancers for which expert recommendations for prevention are available–breast, cervical, and other HPV-related cancers, colorectal, lung and tobacco-related cancers, and skin (melanoma)–in order to make the greatest impact.
The 2022 -2027 plan also takes aim at cancer outcome inequities. It is based on an understanding of the social determinants of health, as well as the need to reach groups at greatest need for appropriate prevention, and clinical services. For example, plan objectives and strategies address that Black men are twice as likely as White women to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year–61.9 vs 36.4 per 100,000 (LTR, 2014-2018).
For the first time, the state cancer plan is online only, which allows us to continue updating the plan as new information becomes available. This flexibility is especially important during uncertain times like the current COVID pandemic. This format also allows people to view the plan from anywhere, send it to others, know they have the most up-to-date version, and easily locate the content they need.
In order to make the plan more user-friendly, we also have pulled the strategies together into one place (Table 1 on page 8). Many of them are cross-cutting–they address more than one part of the cancer control continuum, or more than one cancer site. The strategies reflect current and planned cancer control efforts; we do not include strategies for which there is no person or organization to lead.