Over 235 individuals united April 22 to attend the Minnesota Cancer Alliance’s fifth annual Cancer Summit at Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Park. This year's working meeting was dedicated to gaining input and assistance from stakeholders to help further comprehensive cancer control initiatives taking place across the state.
Carin Perkins, Ph.D., principle epidemiologist for Minnesota's Cancer Surveillance System, set the stage for the day by providing a comprehensive overview of current cancer data for the state of Minnesota.
Perkins explained that after increasing steadily for decades, cancer mortality in Minnesota is declining. She cited that the overall cancer mortality rate dropped by 14% since its highest point in 1992, and the majority of this decline took place between 2000 and 2006.
“This achievement didn't happen by accident,” said Perkins. “It happened because of huge efforts to reduce smoking, increase screening, and reduce the stigma of cancer through education. It happened because of research to develop better treatments. It happened because cancer patients were willing to test those treatments and because physicians translated those improvements into practice." She added: "We still have a long way to go. Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Minnesota, but real progress has been made -- and the Minnesota Cancer Alliance is part of the power behind this progress.”
Working sessions convened to further expand collaborative efforts across the state, including:
Jane Korn, M.D. M.P.H., Minnesota Comprehensive Cancer Control Program director, provided an overview of Alliance accomplishments over the past few years and strategies to engage new members in statewide comprehensive cancer control initiatives.
Tina Gill, M.P.H., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health advisor, provided the keynote address by offering advice on how to engage members for motion, and how to motivate them to move from a shared vision to collective action. She explained that all partners are valuable contributors of statewide efforts and that no contributions are too small. She challenged stakeholders to begin thinking creatively about how they can contribute to the causes by capitalizing on their skills and strengths.
This year’s Summit also featured the inaugural Spirit of Collaboration Awards, which were awarded to two individuals and two groups to acknowledge their dedication to comprehensive cancer control initiatives. Award winners were recognized during the Cancer Summit reception April 21. Click here to view award winners.
Please note: additional Summit materials are available by clicking on the Summit tab on the left hand navigation pane. | 
