Pacific Regional Comprehensive Cancer Control Program

The Cancer Council for the Pacific Islands (CCPI) developed the first Regional Comprehensive Cancer Control (RCCC) 5-year Plan 2007-2012 by November 2006. This was followed by the second and third 5-year-plan (2013-2017; 2017-2022), and the current one, which is for 2022-2027. The latest 5-year regional plan (2022-2027) is available to DOWNLOAD IN PDF.

RCCC advocates for U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) and CCPI resource development in cancer and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention among U.S. National, Regional, and International organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Secretariat for the Pacific Communities (SPC). The individual USAPI Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Programs contribute to the RCCC, enabling the membership to meet at least twice a year to address regional cancer priorities.

VISION, GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES

VISION: A Cancer-Free Pacific

Long term Regional goals include developing a sustainable regional collaboration to oversee cancer control efforts and set minimum recommended indicators for cancer control, developing a regional cancer registry, and developing local capacity for effective CCC program planning, implementation, and evaluation, developing systems of care that are culturally- and resource appropriate, and promoting rational policies addressing the social determinants of health, and health disparity, and common risk factors for cancer.

The strategies outlined in this plan are comparatively short-term (2-10 years) and focus on:

• Continuing and expanding collaboration with regional, U.S. national, and international partners and policymakers to garner and leverage additional resources to achieve the objectives set forth in this plan and to create more sustainable systems
• Conducting regional assessments or compendia of existing policies, done in collaboration with other relevant regional or local partners, with the ultimate goal of consistent, resource-appropriate, and relevant policies that impact control of cancer policies, guidelines or standards concerning social determinants of health, primary prevention, screening, surveillance, and quality of life
• Conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current and future capacity for treating cancer patients within the region and making a formal recommendation to the Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) and other policymakers
• Through the Regional Cancer Registry, continuing work on developing or enhancing existing systems that promote the collection and reporting of quality cancer and related comorbidity data to be used to guide policy and systems change, program planning and implementation

These regional, overarching objectives and strategies complement the jurisdiction CCC plans, which contain specific prevention, health promotion, screening / early detection, treatment and quality of life strategies that are community-based, collaborative, especially in health promotion and prevention, and designed to work for their particular unique situation.

Implementation of the RCCC plan involves collaboration with other regional affiliate organizations of PIHOA as the region moves to improve basic public health infrastructure, which includes capacity in different areas that impact the control of NCDs, including cancer. Effective collaboration, shared vision, an agreed-upon structure for decision-making, representative / equal voting, informed decision making, shared decision making, open communication, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities are significant operating principles established and utilized by the CCPI to address cancer properly.

GOALS:

In 2017, the CCPI established the following five-year goals for the 2017-2022 RCCC Plan:

• Reduce the burden of preventable cancers
• Detect cancer risk factors and cancer in individuals as early as technically possible within the USAPI
• Improve the capacity to effectively screen and treat cervical cancer within the USAPI region
• Provide adequate supportive care services for people and families with cancer, including those at the end of life
• Continue to develop and sustain the current regional collaboration to oversee cancer control efforts
• Further, develop and sustain the Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry
• Enhance data collection on cancer disparities and data gaps
• Assist in developing local capacity for effective CCC program planning, implementation, management, and evaluation
• Assist in the development of systems of care that are culturally- and resource appropriate
• Promote rational policies addressing the social determinants of health and health disparity and common risk factors for cancer