An evaluation of cancer survivorship activities across national comprehensive cancer control programs

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) funds states, the District of Columbia, tribal organizations, territories, and jurisdictions across the USA develop and implement jurisdiction-specific comprehensive cancer control (CCC) plans. The objective of this study was to analyze NCCCP action plan data for incorporation and appropriateness of cancer survivorship-specific goals and objectives.

In August 2013, NCCCP action plans maintained within CDC's Chronic Disease Management Information System (CDMIS) from years 2010 to 2013 were reviewed to assess the inclusion of cancer survivorship objectives. We used the CDMIS search engine to identify "survivorship" within each plan and calculated the proportion of programs that incorporate cancer survivorship-related content during the study period and in each individual year. Cancer survivorship objectives were then categorized by compatibility with nationally accepted, recommended strategies from the report A National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies (NAP).

From 2010 to 2013, 94% (n = 65) of NCCCP action plans contained survivorship content in at least 1 year during the time period and 38% (n = 26) of all NCCCP action plans addressed cancer survivorship every year during the study period. Nearly 64% (n = 44) of NCCCP action plans included cancer survivorship objectives recommended in NAP.

Nearly all NCCCP action plans addressed cancer survivorship from 2010 to 2013, and most programs implemented recommended cancer survivorship efforts during the time period.

NCCCP grantees can improve cancer survivorship support by incorporating recommended efforts within each year of their plans.