Access Resources to Reduce Cancer in Your Community

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We develop new cancer treatments through clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies where patients may be offered promising new therapies to see how well they work. Clinical trials should include a variety of patients from different backgrounds and environments.

We developed a video about cancer research working with community and clinical partners. The video teaches you how to explore clinical trial options.

This video has been tested in a research study. Among 260 people who viewed it, 90% said they planned to speak with their clinician about whether a clinical trial is right for them.

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

This video was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute (P30CA023108).

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Colorectal cancer is a common and often deadly cancer. However, you can prevent it through cancer screening and healthy lifestyle choices—such as eating healthy, staying active, limiting alcohol, and not smoking.

With help from community and clinical partners, we developed a video to help people learn what they can do to:

• Prevent colorectal cancer
• Find it early
• Treat it when it's easiest

We tested the video in a research study. Among 174 people in the study who viewed the video, our study participants increased their:

• Knowledge about colorectal cancer risk factors
• Plans to exercise more
• Plans to eat healthier foods
• Plans to get screened for colorectal cancer

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

This video was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute (P30CA023108).

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Risk factors in our environment, such as arsenic, radon, and pollution, can increase a person's chances of getting cancer. We often look to local community leaders to help us understand and address these concerns.

The videos below help local leaders respond to community environmental health concerns.

Trainings

• An Introduction to the New Hampshire Environmental Health Guide
• Cancer Concerns in the Community
• Understanding Environmental Contamination and Risk

Additional resources

To access additional resources related to environmental health concerns in NH, including the NH Environmental Health Guide, please refer to the New Hampshire APPLETREE website.

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

With receipt of federal funds from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the APPLETREE Program at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services funded Dartmouth College to develop this set of trainings.

Partners

• New Hampshire (NH) APPLETREE Program
• NH Department of Environmental Services
• NH Division of Public Health Services

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that most people will get at some point in their lives. HPV infections can cause six different kinds of cancer. Fortunately, there are safe and effective vaccines to prevent HPV.

HPV can cause mouth/throat cancer, known as 'oropharyngeal cancer.' So, dental professionals should speak with their patients about the HPV vaccine and other ways to prevent HPV.

We have developed toolkits for dental professionals to discuss HPV vaccination with patients.

New Hampshire toolkit

• Dental office poster (8.5" x 11") (PDF)
• Dental office poster (11" x 17") (PDF)
• Incorporating HPV vaccination status in your practice's patient health history (PDF)
• Patient brochure (PDF)
• Patient referral slip (1 per page, 8.5" x 11") (PDF)
• Patient referral slip (4 per page, 8.5" x 11") (PDF)
• Social media messages (PDF)
• Tips for talking about HPV with parents and patients at the dental office (PDF)

Vermont toolkit

Vermont toolkit materials can be accessed from the Dental/HPV Taskforce web page on the VTAAC website.

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

This set of materials was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute (P30CA023108) and funding from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services through the New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration.

Partners

• American Cancer Society
• New Hampshire Cancer Collaboration
• New Hampshire Dental Society
• Team Maureen
• University of Vermont Cancer Center
• Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer (VTAAC), and others

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Lung cancer is easier to treat when it's found early through lung cancer screening. Talk to your doctor about getting screened for lung cancer if you're an adult:

• Between the ages of 50-80 years and smoke cigarettes
• Who has quit smoking in the past 15 years

We encourage you to use the following resources to help spread the message about lung cancer screening.

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

This set of materials was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute (P30CA023108).

Partners

• University of Vermont Cancer Center
• Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer

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SunSafe in the Middle School Years improves sun protection behavior of middle school students (10 to 13 years old).

SunSafe in the Middle School Years toolkit materials

History of the project

Created in 2000, Ardis Olson, MD, directed the project and received funding from the National Cancer Institute. Her team worked with 10 communities throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, and included¹:

• Coaches
• Healthcare providers
• Parents
• Schools
• Town recreation programs

Community members served as role models and educators to change youth's habits around sun screening. Compared to control communities, the study showed that youth in the intervention communities:

• Were more likely to use sunscreen and to apply it more thoroughly
• Reported receiving sun protection advice from more adults
• Protected more of their body from the sun

Why middle schoolers?

Middle school is an important time to work with youth. During this age, youth are making more independent health behavior choices. They are also willing to listen to adults' advice. Parents, teachers, and coaches can be role models.

• 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 18.². Only 35% of middle school students protect themselves from sun damage.
• In 2019, 66% of Vermont middle school students reported having at least one sunburn in the past 12 months. The percent of students who had sunburns increased with each grade level.³
• One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence doubles the risk of developing melanoma later in life.⁴
• 84% of middle school youth understand protecting themselves from sun damage can prevent skin cancer. However, less than one-third (29%) use sunscreen, and only 7% wear a hat (data from baseline of study – unpublished).

Questions? Contact DCC.Community.Outreach@dartmouth.edu

Funding acknowledgement

This set of resources was originally developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute (R01CA079706) and was updated with support from the National Cancer Institute (P30CA023108).

Citations

1. Olson, A. L., Gaffney, C., Starr, P., Gibson, J. J., Cole, B. F., & Dietrich, A. J. (2007). SunSafe in the middle school years: a community-wide intervention to change early-adolescent sun protection. Pediatrics, 119(1), e247-e256. Article on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.
2. Cleveland Clinic (2022). Ultraviolet Radiation and Skin Cancer Page on the Cleveland Clinic website.
3. Vermont Department of Health. (2020). 2019 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey Report, 173. Statewide results report (PDF) on the Vermont Dartmouth of Health website.
4. Skin Cancer Foundation. (2021). Sunburn & Your Skin. Page on the Skin Cancer Foundation website.