About the National Capital Area Minority/Underserved NCORP
About Us
The National Capital Area Minority/Underserved NCORP is based at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and comprises Medstar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Of the 46 community sites nationwide that make up the NCORP network, NCA MU NCORP is one of only 14 Minority and Underserved NCORPs.
Our catchment area, or patient base, is composed of 48.3% non-Latino Blacks (NLB) and 10.6% Hispanics/Latinos (H/L) within Washington, DC, and adjacent counties in Maryland and Virginia.
Our Work at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) serves predominantly minority and underserved populations, and treats more than 2,000 predominantly minority cancer patients and 48,000 outpatients annually.
Cancer burden and disparities are greatest among NLB population in the catchment area, as evidenced by some of the highest mortality rates in the nation for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
Among the H/L population, cancer is the leading cause of death with H/L patients typically presenting at a later stage compared to Non-Latino White (NLW) patients. High rates of preventable cancer risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking, coupled with much lower screening rates for certain cancers, such as colorectal and cervical cancers in minorities contribute to the cancer disparities seen in the catchment area.
The NCA MU NCORP proposes to address one of the most significant factors associated with these cancer disparities – limited access to optimal and cutting edge prevention, cancer control, and cancer care delivery by increasing awareness and providing access to cancer clinical trials among NLB and H/L in the catchment area.
Our Work at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, which combines medical expertise, the latest therapies, and research across MedStar Health. Our research engine, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC), is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, DC, region. This partnership enables us to provide access to cutting-edge clinical trials and the latest breakthroughs in cancer care.
LCCC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research (OMH) represents the community outreach arm that is led by Dr. Adams-Campbell. It has established viable academic-community partnerships that enable the NCA MU NCORP to conduct clinical research in areas of prevention, control, screening, health disparities, and cancer care delivery among the minority populations of interest.
In light of an aging population and the increasing number of cancer survivors, this NCORP has the expertise and leadership as evident by demonstrable research in these areas that address cancer control and patient centered cancer care delivery.
The ability to address cancer prevention and control among adolescents and young adults (AYA) is also a key strength of our team.
The NCA MU NCORP will address the needs of our catchment area via cancer prevention, control, and screening, as well as treatment and imaging studies.