Governors State Univ., UIC Cancer Center Partner to Examine Cancer Disparities
The mortality rate for breast and colon cancer in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood is nearly twice as high as that of the national average, according to a study by the Cancer Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
A similar problem exists in south suburban Ill. communities with large black populations, said Karriem Watson, senior research specialist at the Cancer Center.
The disparities are the reason that Governors State University in University Park, Ill. and the Cancer Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago teamed up to help reduce cancer in the area.
The two schools recently announced that they received a $1.5 million grant to help address the problem.
The National Cancer Institute grant will be used for the collaboration project formally titled the Governors State University-University of Illinois Cancer Center Disparities Education Project (GUIDE).
The two schools will conduct research on cancer rate disparities and help support minority students at Governors State who are interested in careers in addressing the problem.
“Partnering with the [cancer center] will increase the capacity of GSU to serve as a center of health disparities research in a community that is affected by cancer,” said Dr. Rupert Evans, chair and program director of the health administration at Governors State and co-principal investigator on the grant.
The problem is especially being troubling in the south suburbs, according to Dr. Robert Winn, director of the cancer center, after a town hall meeting on the problem.
“We talk about food desserts but not health desserts,” said Winn at the Ray Croc Center at 1250 W. 119th St., Chicago.
He said the south suburbs don't have as many health facilities as Chicago to deal with the problem.
Watson agreed.
“Many suburbs don’t have the infrastructure of robust academic and research cancer centers or the specialized expertise among their faculty, to address the growing disparities that exist within their local communities,” Watson said.
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