The Colorado Cancer Coalition
Program Overview
The Colorado Cancer Coalition is a statewide collaborative working to eliminate the burden of cancer in Colorado. The Coalition supports the needs of Coloradans to prevent cancer, detect cancer early, and enhance quality of life for survivors and their caregivers. The network disseminates education, cancer resources, and connects patients and their caregivers to opportunities to advocate for better cancer outcomes in Colorado.
The Colorado Cancer Coalition became an Administrative Partner of Trailhead Institute in 2016. As the Coalition’s fiscal sponsor, Trailhead serves as a steward of the state check off funds for the Coalition.
The Colorado Cancer Coalition transitioned to a program at Trailhead Institute in spring 2024 to further the Coalition’s administrative capacity to support Colorado communities impacted by cancer. As a program of Trailhead, the Coalition continues to focus on strengthening networks and engaging communities to improve Colorado lives touched by cancer.
To engage, facilitate, expand, and strengthen the statewide network dedicated to improving lives touched by cancer.
The Colorado Cancer Plan
The Colorado Cancer Plan continues to guide the prevention, treatment, and control of cancer statewide for more than 25 years. The 2021-2025 state cancer plan provides a five-year framework to reduce the risk, incidence, and mortality associated with cancer in Colorado.
The Objectives of the Colorado Cancer Plan
The plan’s objectives are organized along the cancer continuum of care rather than by type of cancer. It is not a detailed action plan, but rather a roadmap of broad goals, specific objectives, and evidence-based strategies organized into these five areas of focus:
Task Forces
The Colorado Cancer Coalition is home to 10 task forces focused on reducing the impact of different types of cancer and supporting patients, families, and survivors with oncology navigation. Each task force meets monthly or bi-monthly to accomplish their action plans and is led by a volunteer Chair and/or Co-Chair. Learn more about each task force below.
The Breast Cancer Task Force is reducing the impact of breast cancer for Coloradans through risk reduction, early detection, access to personalized cancer care, and comprehensive survivorship support. The task force focuses on supporting the needs of communities impacted by breast cancer regardless of social determinants of health (SDOH), geography, or personal/community identity.
The Colorectal Cancer Task Force is the only statewide group in Colorado that allows peer-to-peer engagement, learning, and collective action to support colorectal cancer initiatives throughout the continuum of care.
The HPV Task Force is committed to improving HPV vaccination rates and lowering the burden of disease and cancer associated with HPV through collaboration among diverse partners. The task force brings together public health professionals, clinicians, academics, community members and others to identify areas of overlap, gaps, and opportunities to improve HPV vaccination.
Nuestro grupo está compuesto por mujeres líderes, cuidadoras y sobrevivientes de cáncer en Colorado que buscan identificar cómo abordar las brechas culturales que continúan afectando a la población latina en el acceso a la atención, los comportamientos de los factores de riesgo, la mortalidad y la calidad de vida.
The Lung Cancer Task Force is geared towards clinicians and other individuals within the lung cancer care continuum who are interested in using data-driven strategies to improve lung cancer screening efforts in the state of Colorado. The task force is seeking members with a focus on those who are interested in developing collaborative relationships, leveraging resources, and expanding reach for (LCS) awareness.
The mission of the Patient Navigation Task Force, the Local Navigator Network of AONN+, is to decrease barriers to cancer care experienced by Colorado patients, families, and survivors by advancing the practice of oncology navigation throughout the state.
The mission of the Prostate Cancer Task Force is to save lives through awareness and the education of people at risk of developing prostate cancer, their support systems, and the medical community about the prevalence of prostate cancer. The task force is focused on the importance of early detection, available treatment options, and other health issues common to intersex people and those assigned male at birth. Their mission also aims to conduct nationwide screenings for people at risk of developing prostate cancer and perform research that will help the detection and treatment of prostate cancer and other health issues.
The mission of the Skin Cancer Task Force is to 1) increase awareness about sun safety and skin cancer prevention through community outreach and educational events, and 2) decrease rates of melanoma and keratinocyte carcinomas across the state of Colorado.
The Survivorship and Palliative Task Force is a collection of individuals impacted by cancer, as well as advocates and professionals who provide quality cancer care throughout Colorado. The mission of the task force is to share resources for patients and caregivers and foster statewide interaction and professional development. The task force works to break down silos and form statewide partnerships in both rural and urban Colorado communities.
2023 Year in Review
Learn more about the Coalition’s work and success across each task force in the 2023 Year in Review report.
Learn More and Get in Touch
To learn more about the Colorado Cancer Coalition, please email CCCInfo@trailhead.institute