CAM Information

Multicultural Outreach: Native Americans and Cancer

Cancer affects thousands of Americans every year and minority communities can be particularly susceptible to cancer health disparities. The NCI Multicultural Media Outreach Program works to provide culturally-relevant, evidence-based, cancer information and educational resources to media outlets that target minority audiences. One such resource is the Lifelines video series, a part of the Lifelines education series that includes print, radio, web, and broadcast resources free to the public and to multicultural media outlets.

The Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) Director, Dr. Jeffrey D. White, is featured in the latest Lifelines video targeted to the Native American community. "Connecting Complementary & Alternative Medicine and Traditional Native American Healing Practices" features Dr. White speaking with Jeffrey A. Henderson, M.D., M.P.H, President and CEO of the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health. Drs. White and Henderson discuss cancer research and practice as it relates to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Native American community. Dr. Henderson, a NCI grantee, also discusses how Native American traditional healers can be seen as allies to help Native American patients find resources about cancer and screening and in some cases even help patients learn about clinical trials.

The complete video, along with all the Lifelines videos, can be viewed on the NCI YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NCIcancertopics.

In further outreach to the Native American population, Dr. White was featured on the national radio talk show program, Native America Calling, where he was the special guest in a show titled, "Holistic Approach to Cancer." Dr. White spoke about CAM use, clinical trials, and the importance of discussing your CAM use with your doctor. To listen to the program, or read the transcript, visit the OCCAM website: http://cam.cancer.gov//news_and_events/drwhite_radio.htm

James Alexander, team lead for the Multicultural Media Outreach Program notes: “Our job is to communicate cancer information in a culturally relevant way to minority and underserved populations. Whether it is an educational video, an outreach article, or an informational audio segment for radio and online posting, the content we create, which we call Lifelines, is part of helping people in minority and underserved communities understand cancer disparities. Our work is also about helping multicultural communities connect with NCI and the resources it offers. The support of Dr. White and his office has been instrumental in helping us to extend our reach, especially recently to more of the Native American community.”

Webinars offer another way to learn about NCI CAM research and funding opportunities

NCI funded researchers can tell you of the trials, successes, and challenges of submitting grants to the NIH. Getting helpful tips and focused guidance is an integral part of a successful submission. At times, NIH staff will present grant writing workshops across the United States, which help deliver information on program funding and grants administration. While this is a wonderful way to connect researchers and NIH staff, these in-person meetings may not always be the most cost or time-efficient way to reach geographically diverse audiences.

One solution is a webinar. Webinars are a practical way to reach broad audiences and deliver information in a free-to-use and timely manner. Viewers can log on from the privacy of their home or office to view the webinar without having to travel to conferences and meetings; all they need is a computer and two hours of time. Also, presentations can be stored online for archiving and reviewed at a later date.

OCCAM took part in one such webinar to educate viewers on “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Cancer Research and the National Cancer Institute,” with a special focus on CAM grant funding. Dr. Jeffrey D. White, Director of OCCAM, and Dr. Dan Xi, Program Director, represented OCCAM and discussed NCI-funded CAM research. Topics ranged from specific funding announcements to guidance on the NIH grants process, and answers to some frequently asked questions. The webinar also included a presentation from NCI grantee, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas. During his presentation, he discussed Traditional Chinese Medicine and his view of the NIH grants process including grantsmanship, NIH study sections, and communication with Program Officers.

This webinar is part of the NCI Office of Cancer Centers (OCC) Learning Series, composed of monthly webinars with NCI offices and extramural grantees. These webinars are advertised to the 67 NCI-designated Cancer Centers and other interested viewers. Viewing is free and presentation slides are archived on the OCC website. OCCAM’s webinar slides and speaker contact information are available online: http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/Webinar/OCCAM/OCCAMWebinar.html

Shannon Silkensen, Ph.D., Program Officer in the Office of Cancer Centers, discusses the utility of the webinar series: “OCC is excited to bring this Webinar Series to the Cancer Center Members. We believe that by linking the researchers with the NCI Program Staff, better, more mission-targeted science will be accomplished. We were delighted that Dr. White and his team were able to participate in our Webinar Series and highlight funding opportunities for our Center Members in this growing area of research.”