East Side Health District has been intricately involved in an  Oral Cancer Prevention Program since 2006.  This program has been instrumental in solidifying community partnerships and plan interventions for early detection and prevention of oral and pharyngeal cancers.  Ultimately, we plan to improve early detection in target populations located in the East Side Health District service area which has high-risk late-stage diagnosis of these cancers.   The target population are African- American males ages 45-74 who reside in the East Side Health District service area townships of East St. Louis, Centreville, Canteen (Washington Park) and Stites (Brooklyn).

East Side Health District Oral Cancer Profile

The East Side Health District service area is comprised of a large number of African-American males ages 45-74.  The majority of these men live in the service area.  In St. Clair County, 50% to 74% of all cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in their late stages.  The African-American males lifestyles tend to lean toward habitual tobacco use which includes (smoking, chewing  & snuff) along with drinking alcohol which are the most prominent risk factors.  Combined they are catastrophic as it relates to good oral health.  Overall, we have a high risk population in our community of older African-American males who smoke and drink excessively and do not properly brush their teeth, rinse, or floss. Secondly, in most cases they do not see a Dentist unless they need a tooth extracted.  Dental treatment and care are completely ignored and overtime this primes this group for oral cancer.  Recently, a physician told me that he was in the emergency room of a local hospital and handled a patient with stage 4 oral cancer.  In order to change this profile we must work with our community, dental and healthcare partners to educate and train the public to seek screening and treatment to help alleviate the high incidence of oral cancer in our community and St. Clair County as a whole. 

East Side Health District's goal is to develop and implement interventions that reduce the incidence of late-stage diagnosis of oral cancers in the community to less than 50% and to increase the number of adults in the community who report that they have had an oral cancer examination in the past year to 20% by 2010, consistent with Healthy People 2010 goals.

Additionally, we want to strengthen our Advisory Group and increase participation in the group of additional partners with resources to contribute to the effort to promote prevention and early detection.  Build a sustainable partnership with ownership in the intervention strategies devised and implemented.  Improve awareness of oral cancer among the target population to insure a decline in the incidence of late-stage diagnosis and oral cancer, and to encourage steps to reduce risk and foster early detection.  Make the community more aware of the associated high risk factors such as smoking, drinking and chewing tobacco products.  Enhance the capacity of local health care providers to detect oral cancer and to counsel patients about risk. Make oral cancer screening examinations a priority of the provider community and conduct special promotional and screening events at appropriate venues throughout the grant period as determined by our Advisory Group.  If you or your organization are interested in joining the Advisory Group to make more African American males aware of oral cancer and its affects on their lives and thrie families, please contact LaTasha Addison, OCP Coordinator at 618.271.8722 Ext. 115.

With our Advisory Group and community partners, we will conduct assessments to determine goals and resources, conduct inventory, determine the need for primary data collection, identify resources, develop a work plan, collect data organize and analyze the data, report and evaluate the needs assessment for the purpose of program planning, advocacy and education.  Ultimately, this will lead to a comprehensive community health plan with oral cancer prevention and early detection as a major component that can be continued in the community with the support of the partnership being organized under funding from the proposed grant.

East Side Health District has been intricately involved in an  Oral Cancer Prevention Program since 2006.  This program has been instrumental in solidifying community partnerships and plan interventions for early detection and prevention of oral and pharyngeal cancers.  Ultimately, we plan to improve early detection in target populations located in the East Side Health District service area which has high-risk late-stage diagnosis of these cancers.   The target population are African- American males ages 45-74 who reside in the East Side Health District service area townships of East St. Louis, Centreville, Canteen (Washington Park) and Stites (Brooklyn).

East Side Health District Oral Cancer Profile

The East Side Health District service area is comprised of a large number of African-American males ages 45-74.  The majority of these men live in the service area.  In St. Clair County, 50% to 74% of all cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in their late stages.  The African-American males lifestyles tend to lean toward habitual tobacco use which includes (smoking, chewing  & snuff) along with drinking alcohol which are the most prominent risk factors.  Combined they are catastrophic as it relates to good oral health.  Overall, we have a high risk population in our community of older African-American males who smoke and drink excessively and do not properly brush their teeth, rinse, or floss. Secondly, in most cases they do not see a Dentist unless they need a tooth extracted.  Dental treatment and care are completely ignored and overtime this primes this group for oral cancer.  Recently, a physician told me that he was in the emergency room of a local hospital and handled a patient with stage 4 oral cancer.  In order to change this profile we must work with our community, dental and healthcare partners to educate and train the public to seek screening and treatment to help alleviate the high incidence of oral cancer in our community and St. Clair County as a whole. 

East Side Health District's goal is to develop and implement interventions that reduce the incidence of late-stage diagnosis of oral cancers in the community to less than 50% and to increase the number of adults in the community who report that they have had an oral cancer examination in the past year to 20% by 2010, consistent with Healthy People 2010 goals.

Additionally, we want to strengthen our Advisory Group and increase participation in the group of additional partners with resources to contribute to the effort to promote prevention and early detection.  Build a sustainable partnership with ownership in the intervention strategies devised and implemented.  Improve awareness of oral cancer among the target population to insure a decline in the incidence of late-stage diagnosis and oral cancer, and to encourage steps to reduce risk and foster early detection.  Make the community more aware of the associated high risk factors such as smoking, drinking and chewing tobacco products.  Enhance the capacity of local health care providers to detect oral cancer and to counsel patients about risk. Make oral cancer screening examinations a priority of the provider community and conduct special promotional and screening events at appropriate venues throughout the grant period as determined by our Advisory Group.  If you or your organization are interested in joining the Advisory Group to make more African American males aware of oral cancer and its affects on their lives and thrie families, please contact LaTasha Addison, OCP Coordinator at 618.271.8722 Ext. 115.

With our Advisory Group and community partners, we will conduct assessments to determine goals and resources, conduct inventory, determine the need for primary data collection, identify resources, develop a work plan, collect data organize and analyze the data, report and evaluate the needs assessment for the purpose of program planning, advocacy and education.  Ultimately, this will lead to a comprehensive community health plan with oral cancer prevention and early detection as a major component that can be continued in the community with the support of the partnership being organized under funding from the proposed grant.