The West Texas Cancer Survivors Network (WTCSN) addresses the lack of cancer survivor support services and the overall lack of nutrition and quality of life advice available in the rural underserved populations of Public Health Region (PHR) 1. Building on the successful 11-year history of the Cancer Nutrition Network for Texans (CNNT), the WTCSN will focus new and future efforts more specifically on cancer survivorship in general, with continued emphasis on providing nutritional and quality of life information, but in the context of a more comprehensive cancer survivors program.

There are few cancer survivors’ support services available for rural residents in PHR 1 other than groups in Lub...

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The West Texas Cancer Survivors Network (WTCSN) addresses the lack of cancer survivor support services and the overall lack of nutrition and quality of life advice available in the rural underserved populations of Public Health Region (PHR) 1. Building on the successful 11-year history of the Cancer Nutrition Network for Texans (CNNT), the WTCSN will focus new and future efforts more specifically on cancer survivorship in general, with continued emphasis on providing nutritional and quality of life information, but in the context of a more comprehensive cancer survivors program.

There are few cancer survivors’ support services available for rural residents in PHR 1 other than groups in Lubbock and Amarillo. PHR1 has over 3800 cases of cancer diagnosed each year and 1500 cancer deaths, leaving over 2000 cancer survivors accruing each year. That means there are a lot of survivors whose needs are not being met.

The approach is to build on the resources already developed by the CNNT, especially its website and newsletters, and expand the outreach to a more aggressive multifaceted recruitment of cancer survivors through physicians, cancer centers, county extension, community service organizations and through additional resources of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In addition, WTCSN intends to employ novel educational approaches and techniques to reach cancer survivors in the geographically dispersed population.

Proven outreach methods and improved quality of life will justify the approach to be used to expand the WTCSN to other rural Public Health Regions. The barrier to distribution of cancer nutrition information and adequate survivorship services for rural populations creates a major obstacle in the national effort to diminish cancer mortality.

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