Thanks to funding from the four leading academic cancer centers in the state, a range of cancer prevention and screening projects will be coming to high-risk communities across Florida this year.

The community grants, funded by the Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance (FACCA) and totaling $64,000, will support eight new and ongoing cancer screening and prevention projects this year. They focus on some of the cancers that present the largest burden in Florida, including colon, lung, breast, cervical, and liver cancer.
Projects include mobile health clinics to screen and treat people with hepatitis C, health fairs to provide mammograms, and a giant walk-through inflatable colon to educate people on tumor growth, among other initiatives.
FACCA consists of Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center, Moffitt Cancer Center, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Florida Health Cancer Center. Recipients are nonprofit groups and part of the Florida Regional Cancer Control Collaborative, which consists of stakeholders in various regions that strive to meet the goals in the Florida Cancer Plan.
The effort is part of a program by the Florida Department of Health with funds from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida has the second highest cancer burden in the country; between 2019 and 2021, 138,174 Floridians died of cancer, according to the department. About 115,000 new cancers are diagnosed and reported each year to the Florida Cancer Data System, which is the statewide cancer registry.
Learn more about the projects, which each received about $16,000:
Southwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative
- One effort will use universal hepatitis C screening and direct-acting antiviral therapies to reduce the burden of chronic hepatitis C, which can lead to severe liver diseases like cirrhosis and liver cancer. Mobile health services, including the University of South Florida’s Mo-Bull Nurse Health Clinic, will offer free hepatitis C testing, health education, and help accessing care. The project will focus on underserved areas of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
- Another project aims to increase access to breast and cervical cancer screenings in underserved areas such as Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties by using mobile health care units. Three screening events will be organized in partnership with the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, the University of South Florida’s Mo-Bull Nurse Health Clinic, and local organizations. The groups will focus on providing mammograms, Pap tests, and HPV vaccinations.
“It has been a pleasure collaborating with each of the other academic cancer centers in Florida for the past few years to support these innovative projects led by our regional cancer control collaboratives,” Susan Vadaparampil, Ph.D., associate center director for community outreach, engagement, & equity at Moffitt Cancer Center. “While the projects span many topics, they have a common focus on using evidence-based interventions reduce the cancer burden in Florida based on our state’s cancer plan. Specific to Moffitt, this initiative has strengthened our relationship with the regional collaboratives and provides another way for us to understand the community needs learn from local leaders and organizations.”
Southeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative
- Through workshops, one program will educate residents of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and surrounding counties on lung cancer risk factors, prevention strategies, and the importance of early detection. A referral system will connect participants with local screening facilities, ensuring equitable access to life-saving screenings.
- Another initiative seeks to increase awareness of liver cancer risk factors and hepatitis C prevention in underserved Black/African American and Hispanic communities in Miami-Dade, Broward, and St. Lucie counties. It will include 12 workshops, six for health care providers and six for community members. Health care workers will widely distribute promotional materials and help people get referred for hepatitis C and liver cancer screenings.
“Taking health care information directly to the community is a great way to help prevent cancer and tailor interventions to specific needs in a population. These grant programs enable us to reach people, reduce cancer risk and save lives,” said Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate director of community outreach and engagement at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Northeast Florida Area Health Education Center
- It’s brunch but with an educational twist. The Breast Brunch Ever aims to reduce breast cancer mortality by promoting early detection among minority women ages 25 to 49 and those with a genetic predisposition or family history of breast cancer. This program features interactive workshops in a brunch setting at community venues. It’s scheduled for April in Nassau County, June in Duval County, and October in Clay County.
“Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is proud to partner with our fellow FACCA members to support these projects,” said Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., enterprise deputy director, community outreach and engagement. “Our nine-county catchment area in Northeast Florida has many cancer health disparities and challenges which inform our strategic plan. Funding these programs is one of the many ways we meet Floridians where they are and improve their health and well-being.”
North Central Florida Health Planning Council (WellFlorida Council)
- The Small Town, Giant Colon Experience 2.0 targets residents ages 40 to 75, particularly those in rural, low-income, and minority communities. This project will promote early detection through immersive education with a 12-foot inflatable colon and no-cost FIT (fecal immunochemical test) screenings in North Central Florida, provided in partnership with the UF Health Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach & Engagement.
“Investing in the Florida cancer collaboratives through community grants empowers local initiatives, strengthens the health care infrastructure, and contributes to the larger goal of reducing cancer rates and improving patient outcomes across Florida,” said Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D., associate director for community outreach and engagement at the UF Health Cancer Center.
Health Council of East Central Florida, Inc. (lead agency for the East Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative)
- The Small Town, Giant Colon Experience 2.0 will offer immersive colorectal cancer education, linking participants to screening services and educating those ages 40 to 75 on when and how to begin screenings. It will also engage younger individuals at high risk, encouraging discussions with health care providers. The project also includes a breast self-exam simulator to train women older than 18 to perform self-exams, identify abnormalities, and connect them to further screening resources, including mammography. The project will involve at least five community partners across the region.
University of West Florida: Northwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative
- This project focuses on reducing breast cancer mortality and addressing tobacco-related cancer risks among women ages 40 and older in rural counties. Groups will distribute bilingual tobacco cessation materials, host health fairs for breast cancer screening, share survivor testimonials via social media to encourage smoking cessation and screening, and use geolocated data to deliver targeted educational resources.