Welcome Consortium Members and Partners.

Here you can stay connected to committee information, reports, and the latest cancer plans as well as explore resources including marketing campaigns and progress reports.

Join the Consortium

Delaware Cancer Consortium

We’ve helped to change the face of cancer in Delaware.

The Delaware Cancer Consortium was originally formed as the Delaware Advisory Council on Cancer Incidence and Mortality in March 2001 to advise the governor and legislature on the causes of cancer incidence and mortality and practical ways to reduce both.

Our efforts to change the cancer statistics in Delaware have made history, and our work must continue.

Governor John Carney, 2017—2021 Five-Year Plan

Impact

Today, Delaware’s cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to fall annually.

Formed in response to Senate Joint Resolution 2 signed by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, the consortium’s work has helped more people get screened, reduce tobacco use, and avoid secondhand smoke exposure. The progress is meaningful, and the most recent five-year cancer plan shows there is still important work ahead.

What Can Be Done

Lower lung cancer incidence

Increase screening, support people who want to stop using tobacco, and educate people of all ages about the risks.

Educate Delawareans about obesity risks

Connect cancer risk with nutrition and physical activity, then offer practical ways to eat healthier and move more.

Increase screenings for at-risk groups

Identify barriers for at-risk and underserved populations, then create programs that help overcome them.

Expand breast cancer screening access

Use partner relationships to create more screening opportunities for minority communities.

Priorities

Our Priorities Moving Forward

The consortium focuses on preventable risks and early detection work that can continue reducing Delaware’s cancer burden.

Physical Activity & Nutrition

Reduce cancer cases due to obesity

National Cancer Institute (NCI) data indicates that obesity and cancer are related — increasing the risks of cancers of the esophagus, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, colon and rectum, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, and gallbladder — and possibly other types of cancers. The NCI estimates that the future health and economic burden of obesity in 2030 will lead to about 500,000 additional cases of cancer in the United States. NCI learned if every adult reduced his or her BMI by 1 percent — roughly 2.2 pounds for an adult — we would prevent the increase in cancer cases and actually decrease the number of cases by about 100,000.

Lung Cancer

Reduce cancer cases due to smoking

Since 85 to 90 percent of lung cancer cases can be attributed to tobacco use, lung cancer screening and tobacco prevention continue to be priorities. Our efforts will be focused on keeping youth and young adults tobacco-free, helping people who smoke to quit and educating smokers and former smokers on the low-dose CT scan recommended for lung cancer screening in an effort to identify lung cancer before it becomes life-threatening.