Cancer Control Program

The Rhode Island Cancer Control Program was created by the General Assembly in 1985 as a responsibility of the Department of Health (HEALTH). In response to this critical mandate, HEALTH:

• Tracks cancer trends through the RI Cancer Registry
• Develops plans to fight cancer in RI
• Helps people prevent cancer with healthy lifestyles
• Promotes cancer screening, to find cancer when it can be cured
• Provides free mammograms and Pap tests for women of low income
• Promotes high-quality hospital cancer programs and clinical trials
• Promotes hospice care for cancer patients who are very ill
• Supports the work of the RI Cancer Council
• Supports the work of the American Cancer Society

The RI Cancer Registry produces official cancer statistics for the Cancer Control Program and the State. The Registry is run jointly by HEALTH and the Hospital Association of Rhode Island.

The Cancer Control Program is guided by an official Cancer Control Plan for the State of Rhode Island, originally published in 1989. The Plan was revised in 1996-1998 by a large group of cancer control experts from around the State, and was republished in September, 1998. The Plan was again revised in 2003-2004.  The latest version of the Plan is now available on this website under Cancer Control Plan.

In July 2003, the Cancer Control Program received funding from the U.S.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to become the Rhode Island Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. A major focus of the Program is to work with existing colorectal cancer screening networks and local Cancer Control Task Forces to develop plans to decrease colorectal cancer mortality in Rhode Island.