Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells anywhere in the body that occurs when genes allow a cell to split without control. There are many kinds of cancers because there are many types of cells. Cancers may harm the body by replacing normal cells with cells that don't work properly, and by killing normal cells. Some cancers stay put, some spread to nearby organs and some travel to distant parts of the body. The farther a cancer spreads, the harder it is to control. We can control many causes of cancer by making good choices in our everyday lives.
Cancer is a serious health threat in Rhode Island and the second leading cause of death. Cancer can, however, be controlled. Science has learned more about how to prevent cancer, how to detect it early (when treatments work best), and how to treat cancer more effectively.
What we are doing
The RIDOH Cancer Team is comprised of four programs specifically dedicated to cancer prevention, screening, surveillance, and survivorship: the Rhode Island Cancer Registry, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program, and the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. Together, these programs work to reduce the burden of cancer in Rhode Island through early detection, data surveillance, statewide planning, health system partnerships, and community engagement. This evidence-based work also uses policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to improve survivorship supports.
