WVU Cancer Institute - Cancer Prevention and Control

Early detection of cancer can save lives. The most common cancers in West Virginia – lung, breast, and colorectal – can all be caught and treated early through routine screening tests. Yet West Virginians continue to die from these cancers at rates that are often higher than the national average. The WVU Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control team works to change those statistics.

A key part of the team’s mission is to reduce cancer health disparities and remove barriers to cancer care. By partnering with individuals, primary care providers, communities, and public health policymakers, we increase cancer screening rates and improve outcomes across the state.

In a state like West Virginia, where many people are unable to get cancer screenings and access to prevention without significant travel, we bring resources closer to home. Whether we accomplish this through a mobile screening unit, individual education, community outreach, or helping rural health clinics implement improved screening protocols, the goal is the same: to prevent and control cancer throughout Appalachia.