PLP / OHSU General Cancer 101 (English)

KCI/PLP General Cancer with Breast Cancer Highlights

Course Description:

Community Health Workers (CHWs) and their similar counterparts such as Peer Navigators (PN),  Traditional Health Workers (THWs) etc., play a critical role in breaking barriers for patients who experience challenges to accessing healthcare and providing culturally-competent health education. While many CHWs in Oregon are already trained in assisting communities with managing chronic illnesses or heart disease, there is a gap in available content for cancer-specific topics.

This training -- developed by a partnership between OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and Pink Lemonade Project -- will introduce an overview of cancer and then use breast cancer as an example of one specific cancer. Topics that will be covered include carcinogenesis, risks, prevention, screening guidelines, and post-diagnosis supports. The goal for having CHWs trained in cancer topics is to increase awareness of cancer prevention and screenings among communities that face cancer disparities such as those in rural areas, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The training will also provide some insight and resources into how CHWs can support cancer patients and survivors.

Objectives:

• Define what cancer is and how it develops

• Describe protective and risk factors for cancer, offering breast cancer as a specific example

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of cancer screening guidelines

• Learn communication skills for working with cancer patients

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the resources available the role of CHWs in cancer care