November 15, 2008
American Cancer Society Awards $627,000 grant to ANTHC
ANTHC Press Release
(Anchorage, AK) The First Cancer Research Grant Awarded in 42 Years from the American Cancer Society in Alaska will go to support the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Dr. Melany Cueva's work, entitled "Developing Arts-Based Cancer Education with Alaska Native People".
Alaska Native cancer rates are the highest of any US ethnic group-34 percent higher than US Whites - and survival rates are 17 percent lower than for US Whites. The American Cancer Society has awarded a grant of over $600,000 to Dr. Melany Cueva, EdD, of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium to change those numbers.
"The American Cancer Society is so pleased to award Dr. Cueva's work and the recognition it brings to the ANTHC," said Larry Andrus, Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society. "Reevaluating cancer education at the cultural level is on the cutting edge of the fight against cancer. This gives us the opportunity to address disparities in our rural and urban Alaska Native populations."
"Cancer is the top killer of Alaska Natives and we're taking an innovative approach to change that," said Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) Chairman and President Lincoln Bean. The Consortium is developing arts-based cancer prevention educational tools for Alaska Natives care providers and the people in their communities.
"This will help people be less fearful, and understand more about cancer, so they get screenings, for instance, that can uncover cancer when it's easier to treat," said ANTHC CEO Don Kashevaroff.
