October and November are National Breast Cancer Awareness month and National Lung Cancer Awareness month respectively. The September-October 2016 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice focuses on cancer screening and risk, with several articles highlighting the importance of testing and early detection. To further draw attention to these important national awareness campaigns, we invite you to look back on this recent issue of JPHMP.

“Using Evidence-Based Interventions to Improve Cancer Screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program” by Amy DeGroff and colleagues details the importance of high-quality screening for all Americans. The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) has a network of more than 11,000 primary care clinics and is therefore able to work closely with health systems to implement initiatives like evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that increase screening among the newly insured and those who are uninsured or underinsured. The article underscores the important benefits of early cancer detection and how the NBCCEDP is actively seeking ways to ensure that people take advantage of them.

As we move into November and National Lung Cancer Awareness month, Emily Mader and colleagues advance our knowledge of how the latest efforts in tobacco control have impacted tobacco use across the United States. The results of their study “Update on Performance in Tobacco Control: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Tobacco Control Policy and the US Adult Smoking Rate, 2011-2013” may assist policy makers in their efforts to reduce tobacco consumption.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and addiction is a serious public health challenge. “Tobacco User Characteristics and Outcomes Related to Intensity of Quitline Program Use: Results from Minnesota and Pennsylvania” by Rebecca Lien and colleagues examines multiple factors of quitline programs across two states to describe how participants use a 5-call program to determine whether program use or intensity of programs have any impact on quitting. Their results and conclusions are helpful in discovering quitline programs that benefit participants and encourage the elimination of tobacco use.

Readers of JPHMP Direct are invited to read and share these important studies, and to foster a healthy lifestyle by encouraging family and friends to quit smoking and get regular cancer screenings.

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Alex Peluso is a senior at the University of South Carolina, pursuing a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on exercise science and a minor in psychology. She hopes to pursue a Master of Public Health degree. Her interests include health behavior and wellness and working with children. [Full bio].