Journal of Cancer Education最新文献

Early exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can inspire children from medically underserved areas and populations (MUA/P) to pursue health and biomedical careers, helping reduce long-term cancer disparities. The Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and KID Museum co-developed the Young Scholars Program (YSP) to engage elementary students from Title I schools in the Washington, DC region, in hands-on learning about cancer biology and prevention through a maker education approach. This study evaluated the YSP's impact on students' inventive learning, sense of belonging in STEM, and STEM interest using mixed methods. During the 2024-2025 school year, N = 432 students from four Title I schools participated. Most identified as Black (35%) or Latine (53%), and 49% were female. Among program attendees, N = 306 completed exit tickets, N = 224 returned evaluation surveys, and N = 184 had exit tickets matched to surveys. Post-program, nearly all students reported practicing as a scientist (99%) or engineer (98%). Knowledge of cancer biology and prevention was high, with 88-96% answering key questions correctly. Students endorsed strong inventive learning (90%), belonging in STEM (92%), and STEM interest (81%). Among students with matched data, those who reported practicing as scientists or engineers showed significantly greater inventive learning (F = 16.19, p < 0.001), belonging (F = 9.65, p = 0.002), and STEM interest (F = 4.75, p = 0.03). Qualitative reflections (N = 284 responses) most frequently described initiative (48%), followed by skill building (19%), teamwork (17%), perspective-taking (11%), and exploration (5%). The YSP strengthened students' STEM identity, comprehension of cancer concepts, and engagement in maker learning. Hands-on, culturally relevant instruction fostered initiative, collaboration, and belonging. Community-based STEM programs like the YSP show promise for advancing early STEM engagement and diversifying the future biomedical workforce.

Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) through screening improves survival and reduces mortality, yet adherence is shaped by education and communication barriers. Such systemic barriers are relevant for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) population using American Sign Language (ASL). While educational attainment is closely linked to cancer screening, less is understood about whether an individual's self-perceived ability to communicate in spoken language settings influences screening behavior. In this study, we examine 'functional hearing ability,' defined as a person's self-perception of their ability to understand what someone says in a quiet room, and its relationship to CRC screening adherence. Using the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey in ASL and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) CRC screening guidelines, we surveyed 600 ASL-using adults from July 2023 to June 2025. Multivariable logistic regression tested associations between self-perceived ability to understand spoken language in a quiet room (understand well vs. cannot understand well in a quiet room) and screening adherence, adjusting for age, education, their interaction, race, and marital status. Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Functional hearing ability was not significantly associated with CRC screening [OR 0.86 (95% CI: 0.58-1.27); p = 0.44]. However, the interaction between age and education remained significant (p = 0.04). College graduates were more likely to follow screening guidelines compared to non-graduates, though this benefit diminished with age [age 45-54: OR 2.47 (1.30-4.70); 55-64: OR 1.25 (0.72-2.17); 65-74: OR 0.75 (0.39-1.46)]. Hispanic [OR 0.80 (0.53-1.19)] and Other races [OR 0.50 (0.31-0.80)] were also less likely to be screened than White participants (p = 0.02). Findings suggest functional hearing ability, defined as perceived ability to understand a speaker in a quiet room, alone does not predict screening adherence. Addressing educational disparities, through ASL-fluent community health workers or patient navigators, may improve increasing CRC screening rates in the DDBHH community.

This study aimed to construct and validate a mobile application to guide children and adolescents in oncological care in self-reported pain. This is a descriptive study, based on a systematic instructional design that was conducted from 2022 to 2023 on working in pediatric care at two hospitals in Brazil. The content was validated by healthcare professionals, using the content validity index and cutoff score of 0.80. Face validity was assessed by children and adolescents, and a 90% agreement rate was used. The application, named "CuidaDor Web App," comprises four sections: user identification, presence of pain through numerical and facial scales and a body map, history of records, and informative materials. In the content evaluation, the judges assessed seven items: Language, Content, Illustrations, Layout, Motivation, Relevance, and Usability Assessment. The overall content validation index was 0.95. A face validation involved 24 children and adolescents, achieving over 90% concordance rate. However, usability requires parents' assistance for children using the tool. The CuidaDor Web App was developed and validated by healthcare professionals, children, and the target audience. The app may contribute to the management of pain in children and adolescents with cancer during hospitalization and at home. Future studies are needed to evaluate the age group that benefits most from technology and the use of the application as a tool for nurses and healthcare professionals.

The Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) initiative of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports long-standing collaborations between an under-resourced institution and NCI-designated Cancer Centers to strengthen cancer research workforce and advance cancer research capacity. One of the longest continuously funded CPACHE programs is the Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/University of Alabama at Birmingham O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center tri-institutional partnership. A central component of this partnership is training future generations of investigators, which is accomplished through the research education programs that are designed to build cancer research skills, enhance mentorship, and support career development for all levels from high school students to Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). This paper evaluates the longitudinal impact of a year-long program for ESIs and postdoctoral fellows since its inception in 2007. The data were extracted from the Research Education Core administrative records about the scholars and mentors and utilized publicly accessible databases Scopus and PubMed for publications, and the NIH RePORTER for grants. Among 89 program scholars, nearly 95% had at least one publication since their program start date. Of these, 70% had a first author, and 62% had a senior author publication. Approximately 20% of scholars obtained NIH funding as principal investigators through grants, core leadership, and/or supplements. This tri-institutional program successfully attracted investigators committed to cancer research. The outcomes suggest that structured training, intensive mentorship, and cross-institutional collaboration can meaningfully support their academic careers. These findings provide insights for strengthening similar programs to continue to meet the evolving professional needs for the development of ESIs and postdoctoral fellows, particularly at under-resourced institutions.

In the United States, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third leading cause of death among non-Hispanic African American/Black (henceforth Black) men. Inadequate CRC knowledge leads to missing early warning signs, delaying prevention and increasing risk. Emerging adulthood (18-25) is a key period for building healthy behaviors and addressing barriers to CRC knowledge in addition to understanding attitudes and practices to CRC screening. Psychosocial barriers - including social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination - contribute to the lack of CRC knowledge among older Black men, yet emerging adult Black men remain understudied. The present study examined psychosocial barriers to CRC knowledge among emerging adult Black men. Additionally, although not screening eligible, a secondary aim was to examine how these psychosocial barriers play a role CRC attitudes and preventive practices. One hundred sixty-eight men (M_age = 20.4, SD = 1.73) were recruited in Petersburg, Virginia. Participants completed a survey assessing social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination, CRC knowledge, and CRC practice items. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.29. A hierarchical regression, controlling for age, public assistance status, and masculinity, examined social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination. Contrary to hypothesis, higher medical mistrust predicted greater CRC knowledge, p = 0.003, while increased social support also predicted greater CRC knowledge, p < .001. Perceived racial discrimination did not significantly predict CRC knowledge. Logistic regressions showed that higher masculinity health problem minimization and perceived racial discrimination predicted significantly lower odds of considering early CRC screening. No variables significantly predicted early detection. Findings provide critical understanding of barriers and facilitators of CRC knowledge among emerging adult Black men. Addressing barriers during emerging adulthood may encourage healthier behaviors and foster motivation to seek CRC knowledge, ultimately supporting prevention in this high-risk population. Results are critical for informing culturally age-tailored prevention strategies.

Dietary quality, physical activity, and sleep hygiene are interrelated behaviors that have been associated with health outcomes among cancer survivors and caregivers. The purpose of this study was to develop health promotion short message service (SMS) content related to these three behaviors using generative artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a health promotion intervention development process. Generative AI was first used to develop English-language SMS drafts for each of the three health behaviors using ChatGPT 3.5 (OpenAI, 2023). SMS drafts were then refined by humans to produce usable messages and approved by content experts. Each SMS was translated to Spanish by a native bilingual/bicultural speaker, with assistance from an AI translator (IXL Learning, 2023). This work demonstrated that AI can be an effective tool for generating new health education SMS content; however, expert human review and revision are critical for ensuring both the accuracy of content and appropriateness of language. Lessons learned and recommendations for incorporating GenAI into future SMS intervention development are discussed.