Navigating the cancer journey theme of 4th annual ChicagoCHEC forum

The 4th Annual ChicagoCHEC (Cancer Health Equity Collaborative) Annual Community Forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, at Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. This year’s theme is “Navigating the Cancer Journey: With Resources for Early Detection to Survivorship.”

The annual community forum allows individuals touched by cancer to learn more about the disease and obtain a variety of cancer-related resources, ranging from screening to survivorship, said Melissa Simon, MD, George H. Gardner Professor of Clinical Gynecology and founding director and principal investigator of ChicagoCHEC. “We work alongside community partners who challenge us to find innovative ways to address health equity barriers related to cancer care,” she said. “Our annual community forum helps provide resources and information to Chicago communities to help reduce cancer inequities.”

“The cancer health disparities we see in Chicago stand as a clear call to action,” said Marian Fitzgibbon, PhD, a principal investigator on the ChicagoCHEC grant and associate director of cancer prevention and control at the University of Illinois Cancer Center and professor of pediatrics and health policy and administration at UIC. “Only by working together and through authentic engagement can we create meaningful change and reduce the unequal share of the cancer burden experienced by our underserved communities.”

“ChicagoCHEC is making great strides in reducing cancer health inequities by creating new opportunities for education, research and partnership with residents from across the city of Chicago,” said Christina Ciecierski, PhD, economics professor at Northeastern Illinois. “In addition to our collaboration with Chicago’s many communities, NEIU is excited to be building multi-disciplinary research within our university.”

The ChicagoCHEC is a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer partnership with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the UI Cancer Center. ChicagoCHEC’s mission is to advance cancer health equity through meaningful scientific discovery, education, training, and community engagement. Robert Winn, MD, director of the UI Cancer Center, serves as a principal investigator on the U54 ChicagoCHEC grant.

The event is free and open to the public. Information will be provided in English, Spanish and Cantonese. Breakfast, lunch and on-site parking will be provided. Transportation for groups of 25 or more can be arranged by calling ChicagoCHEC at 773-231-7789. Register online.

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