Slow Progress In Low-Resource Environments: Is Lack Of Education & Training In Cancer Prevention Key?

Abstract Purpose: Explore attitudes about education and training in cancer prevention research and practice on dissemination and implementation of cancer prevention practices in India. Methods: Conduct focus groups to understand how cancer prevention education and training – or their absence – influence dissemination and implementation of cancer prevention and control strategies from stakeholder groups: o Professionals with leadership responsibilities in cancer and public health, managing people and resources, and with experience working with patients and communities, clinicians and public health professionals, health administrators, government agencies, and non-profits; and o Patients with cancers for which prevention and early detection strategies exist. Results: In focus group discussion guides, we consider how to appropriately probe aspects of individual and professional responsibility, leadership style, public and system capacity, cultural and educational influence, and surface other aspects important to the influence of education and training of professionals, leaders, and the public in cancer prevention and control. We expect to gain rich insight from leaders and professionals with knowledge of cancer prevention and control success achieved in developed countries and lived experience managing cancer resources for patients and systems in India. We also anticipate rich insight from survivors about their expectations of and experiences with oncology care for contrast and alignment of themes from leaders and professionals. Conclusio:n Slow progress in dissemination and adoption of proven cancer prevention and control initiatives in LMICs creates critical opportunities missed. Through focus groups, we hope to unearth foundational barriers to cancer prevention in low-resource settings related to cancer prevention education and training for fuller NCI R01 dissemination science investigations in India and other low-resource settings that share the experience of preventable cancers diagnosed at advanced stage but are culturally different for comparison. Insight from such studies may reveal new directions for achieving high impact, long-term implementation of cancer prevention strategies. Citation Format: Melissa Varon, Chang Shine, Sharmila Pimple, Surendranath Shastri. Slow Progress in Low-Resource Environments: Is Lack of Education and Training in Cancer Prevention Key? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Global Cancer Research and Control: Looking Back and Charting a Path Forward; 2021 Mar 10-11. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021;30(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 72.