Priority Areas for Applied Cancer Screening Research
Table 2. Focused Statements
(Note: Ten miscellaneous statements that did not fit a specific cluster area are not displayed here.)
Following are focused statements generated in response to the following statement, "in order to address its mission, one specific research area and/or topic I think the ACSRB should focus on over the next 3 years is…."
| # | Statement |
| 1. | Encourage innovative qualitative approaches to understanding barriers to screening. |
| 2. | Examine effects of screening with and without false positive results on worry/anxiety about cancer. |
| 3. | Encourage more small-scale preliminary research projects. |
| 4. | Understand ecological influences on cancer screening behavior. |
| 5. | Support provider studies of decision making about colorectal cancer screening options. |
| 6. | Encourage integration of different theoretical perspectives into intervention development. |
| 7. | Develop and test cancer risk communication messages across different ethnic/minority and cultural groups. |
| 8. | Develop and test gender specific messages for colorectal cancer screening. |
| 9. | Anticipate the behavioral research issues likely to develop with the introduction of biomarker screening. |
| 10. | Study how people interpret genetic risk information, especially absolute versus relative risk. |
| 11. | Develop outreach strategies that respond to underserved populations in rural areas. |
| 12. | Research the relative effectiveness of different theories in increasing prevention/screening activities. |
| 14. | Consider interventions addressing multiple behavioral concerns, not just screening. |
| 15. | Increase research on the most effective educational approaches for low-literacy individuals. |
| 16. | Develop and test strategies to promote shared decision making to increase cancer screening. |
| 17. | Consider the difference between screening in the classic sense and case-finding. |
| 18. | Encourage research on decision making strategies in high risk families. |
| 19. | Develop a team model approach for prostate cancer patients to facilitate treatment decisions over short and long run. |
| 20. | Conduct cost-utility studies for new colorectal cancer screening tests on the horizon (e.g. virtual colonoscopy). |
| 22. | Encourage replication studies with different populations so that they can be evaluated for best practices model. |
| 23. | Explore beyond race/ethnicity on the major cultural constructs that may be associated with screening. |
| 25. | Explore the extent to which "trust" is an issue with various ethnic populations. |
| 26. | Evaluate how to link national and state data on screening of cancer incidence and outcomes for those areas. |
| 27. | Identify impact of false positive cancer screening tests on future screening behavior. |
| 29. | Consider quantifying the potential impact of directing efforts at particular populations via simulation modeling. |
| 30. | Assess the relative value of factors that enable provider and patient screening behaviors in practice settings (particularly multiple screens). |
| 31. | Test strategies for increasing patient-provider communication regarding screening. |
| 32. | Examine predictors of multiple screening behaviors simultaneously to determine how behaviors cluster. |
| 33. | Support interventions for minority groups that focus on the relation of HPV and cervical cancer. |
| 34. | Examine the issue of informed consent for screening. |
| 35. | Focus research on the translation of proven screening programs into actual clinical practice. |
| 36. | Examine patient decision making and preferences for different colorectal cancer screening tests. |
| 37. | Develop and test strategies for reaching the hard-core screening. |
| 38. | Examine the policy issues related to genetic screening for cancer. |
| 39. | Assess patient and provider decision making when screening recommendations are uncertain (e.g., PSA testing). |
| 40. | Study community level predictors of cancer screening. |
| 41. | Test interventions to eliminate socioeconomic disparities in cancer screening. |
| 43. | Develop a balanced prostate cancer screening message and determine effective ways to disseminate it. |
| 44. | Increase capacity of state and local health departments in the area of HPV/cervical cancer prevention. |
| 45. | Determine how to integrate cancer preventive service delivery in the midst of the competing opportunities of the primary care setting. |
| 46. | Explore the impact of social support on screening behaviors. |
| 48. | Describe PSA screening practices among physicians. |
| 49. | Examine psychosocial and other screening issues in first-degree relatives of cancer survivors. |
| 50. | Evaluate and assess the psychosocial and system effects of genetic testing for cancers among high and average risk people. |
| 51. | Reduce disparities with respect to initial access to screening and abnormal follow-up in key cancer areas. |
| 52. | Support basic behavioral (pre-intervention, "fundamental") research on the role of culture and screening behavior. |
| 53. | Develop capacity building strategies for endoscopic colorectal cancer. |
| 54. | Evaluate and test colorectal risk communications via multi-media methods. |
| 55. | Support adoption of successful cancer screening intervention strategies for community based populations. |
| 56. | Test the specific impact of tailored interventions in increasing cancer screening behavior. |
| 57. | Encourage development of theory relating macro levels of influence to individual screening behavior. |
| 58. | Identify practices most able to adopt innovations in cancer prevention. |
| 59. | Describe the actual practices in HMOs to promote screening. |
| 60. | Test the feasibility of using new media technologies to educate underserved/poor regarding cancer screening. |
| 61. | Support designs to test the aggregate, as well as the independent effects of multi-strategy interventions. |
| 62. | Identify "pathways" to early detection. |
| 63. | Study cost effectiveness of screening interventions. |
| 64. | Test strategies to improve follow-up of abnormal screening test results. |
| 65. | Investigate similarities/differences in barriers to obtaining various cancer screening tests in different populations. |
| 66. | Expand behavioral research in the area of screening for genetic risk for cancer. |
| 67. | Determine how risk assessment should be incorporated into screening. |
| 68. | Assess the impact of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000. |
| 69. | Examine information systems that facilitate transfer of screening guidelines to clinicians. |
| 70. | Model screening prevalence needed to reduce breast, cervix and colorectal cancer mortality by 2005 and 2010. |
| 72. | Encourage high quality reporting of published results, methods and outcomes, to create a coherent body of knowledge. |
| 73. | Study influences on the receipt of repeat cancer screening. |
| 74. | Understand the role of fear as a barrier to screening, and develop strategies to help. |
| 76. | Encourage research on the cultural appropriateness of behavioral theories used to explain screening and inform interventions. |
| 77. | Develop and test alternatives to the traditional experimental-control approach for evaluation of community-based studies. |
| 78. | Evaluate the effectiveness and costs of packaging (all) screening in the primary care setting. |
| 79. | Support educational interventions regarding the role of HPV in cervical cancer. |
| 80. | Study the importance of context especially among the hard to reach subpopulations and those who never screen. |
| 81. | Examine cost effectiveness of various early detection formats. |
| 82. | Support application of current successful models of intention to treat designs for cancer screening. |
| 83. | Collect up to date data on cancer screening access among rural residents. |
| 84. | Assess the impact of different managed care settings on screening practices. |
| 85. | Establish consensus on appropriate outcome measures for behavioral interventions. |
| 86. | Diversify intervention research geographically. |
| 87. | Assess policy relevant to diagnostic and treatment service provisions in population screening programs. |
| 88. | Identify ways to package cancer screening with other preventive services. |
| 89. | Examine the feasibility of "low tech" screening for developing countries and underserved areas of the US. |
