Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Launches Initiative

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 26, 2011) — Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky (CCFKY), housed at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, along with Cervical Cancer-Free America (CCFA), and in conjunction with partner states, launched an initiative to prevent and eradicate cervical cancer nationwide on May 5.

Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky played a vital role in this national meeting which was the most collaborative and comprehensive call to action to eliminate cervical cancer in the United States. Despite the fact that cervical cancer is largely preventable, approximately 391 women develop cervical cancer in Kentucky annually, and approximately 66 women die. Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky and CCFA are establishing and strengthening diverse partnerships across the country to eliminate cervical cancer.

“Cervical Cancer is a preventable and if found early, a curable disease,” says Dr. Baretta R. Casey, director of CCFKY. “Education of every woman, young and old, is important. One of the missions of CCFKY is to provide this education for Kentucky women.”

The mission of CCFA is to bring together public health leaders, foundations, private partners, and cancer survivors to build and activate an ambitious public health campaign to eliminate cervical cancer through education, effective screening, vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), and associated treatment.

“The goal of making the United States free of cervical cancer is ambitious but eminently achievable. Just like the polio vaccine nearly eradicated polio globally during the 20th century, we now have the opportunity to nearly eliminate cervical cancer collectively through screening, vaccination and treatment,” said Jennifer S. Smith, director of CCFA.

The launch brought together the six partner states and over 75 organizations that worked together to share ideas on how to eradicate cervical cancer and to discuss the impact that new research and recent health policy has on this goal.

“We now have the tools that could essentially eradicate cervical cancer. It is time to shift our focus from a primary emphasis on research to a primary emphasis on public health implementation. We can and must do better,” said John Schiller, senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research.

CCFA currently has statewide partner programs in Alabama, California, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas. These states encompass thirty percent of all cervical cancer cases in the United States alone. The multi-state initiative calls for partners to plan and develop statewide projects, interventions and education programs.

To get involved and for more information on Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky visit cervicalcancerfreeky.org.