A major part of Making Cancer History® is preventing cancer from developing in the first place. We're constantly researching ways to reduce an individual's risk of getting cancer, and our discoveries are translated into advances in clinical care and recommendations to the community as a whole.
Community Health Research
A community-based approach to cancer prevention and wellness
“Every community is unique,” says Ruth Rechis, Ph.D., director of Be Well Communities™, MD Anderson’s place-based strategy for cancer prevention and control.
Building on MD Anderson’s decades at the forefront of cancer prevention research, Be Well Communities uses best practices to deploy science-based cancer prevention strategies to communities with the greatest need. It brings individuals and organizations together to promote wellness and to address modifiable risk factors for cancer.
“Focusing on a specific geographic area allows us to understand a community's history, culture, and assets as well as what the people from that community feel is needed to improve health overall,” Rechis says.
With the launch of Be Well™ Acres Homes in September 2021, MD Anderson is focusing on a community in our own backyard – the historic Acres Homes neighborhood, located 8 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Before it was annexed by the City of Houston, Acres Homes was the largest unincorporated Black community in the South. Today, the population of approximately 58,000 people is 47% Black and 43% Hispanic. The area also has the highest referral rate to Harris Health System’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital for cancer care, where MD Anderson provides oncology services.
Empowering communities to champion healthy living
Be Well Acres Homes is the third Be Well Community, following initiatives successfully launched in Baytown and Pasadena in 2016. The Be Well Communities team uses a data-driven approach to select communities for investment based on capacity and need. Historically under-resourced communities with the infrastructure to carry out resident-led interventions are prioritized. Like Baytown and Pasadena, Acres Homes represents an area with high rates of residents who are living in poverty and/or without health insurance, and it has strong community organizations with engaged local leaders.
“Our goal is for the communities to lead these comprehensive community health initiatives long into the future,” Rechis says. “When you join our Be Well Communities’ steering committees, we ask you to fully commit to working together toward a common goal of improving wellness for the community overall. When the individuals who live in and work in the community are the ones who commit to action, that’s what will lead to long-term success.”
The short-term accomplishments of the Be Well Communities model are already clear: Since 2017, Be Well Communities has helped increase access to healthy eating and supported continuous food systems, distributing more than 4.5 million pounds of healthy food, including 2 million pounds in an emergency response capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 70,000 students have participated in health and physical activity programs, and more than 8,500 college students and staff have received access to sun safety and tobacco cessation resources.
In Pasadena, the community is sustaining 90% of the actions originally implemented by Be Well Communities. MD Anderson continues to serve as a member of the coalition, which the City of Pasadena Parks and Recreation department now leads. Be Well™ Baytown is now in its fifth year.
Short-term accountability, long-term health improvement
While Be Well Acres Homes celebrated its official launch in September, work to establish the steering committee and action plan began in 2019. The initiative involves intentional collaboration with Harris Health System, Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, and more than 30 community organizations, together with residents of Acres Homes.
“The Be Well Communities model has a long-term view on impact and a very short-term view on accountability,” says Michael Walsh Jr., executive director of Cancer Prevention and Control platform. “The coalition that MD Anderson has built over the past several years is designed to actively advance health equity and to sustain access to high-quality health and social services. We engage with our coalition partners on a daily and weekly basis to implement evidence-based actions for health, together.”
The Be Well Acres Homes action plan focuses on priorities identified by the community, in alignment with the City of Houston’s Complete Communities initiative. In the first year, 20 initial projects will focus on increasing opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, including safe routes to schools, healthy food programs in food pantries, fitness programs and community gardens.
The backbone of Be Well Acres Homes’ support comes from MD Anderson’s Community Outreach and Engagement Fund, along with the Cancer Prevention and Control platform, which is part of the institution’s Moon Shots Program®. The Walmart Foundation is providing additional support through a $1 million grant to The University of Texas Foundation to support implementation of sustainable, neighborhood-based food security strategies.
“The Be Well Communities model goes beyond the scope of what a cancer center might typically do, and it addresses those factors we know can have a downstream effect on cancer risk,” Rechis says. “We’re thinking about how we work with communities to improve health over the long term. It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm building in Acres Homes, and we’re looking forward to growing the program with the community over the years to come.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Preventing Cancer in Texas and Beyond
One of MD Anderson’s goals is to build prevention and screening collaborations that will make an impact on health disparities, both in Texas and globally.
MD Anderson launches collaborative initiative to reduce breast cancer disparities in Houston area
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the launch of Texas Health Equity Alliance for Breast Cancer (THEAL), a community-wide health care initiative to reduce breast cancer disparities in the Houston area, particularly for Black women.
THEAL builds upon the expertise of MD Anderson’s Department of Health Disparities Research in addressing the determinants of cancer disparities while leveraging the cancer prevention and control platform’s experience in leading cross-sector collaboratives for community impact. Using successful models implemented in other cities, particularly in Chicago, the initiative seeks to lower the Black/white breast cancer mortality gap in Harris County by 15% over the next decade.
Recent Global Partnerships
Learn More about Cancer Prevention Topics
Tobacco Use
What's the best way to quit smoking?
Smoking is on the decline. But if you are one of the 28 million Americans still smoking, you probably know how hard it is to quit.
Does vaping cause lung cancer?
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, use electricity rather than fire to convert vape liquid with substances like tobacco, nicotine, CBD and THC, into a vapor that can be smoked or inhaled. We spoke with Edwin Ostrin, M.D., Ph.D., to learn more about how vaping impacts the lungs.
Increasing doses of varenicline or nicotine replacement helps persistent smokers quit
Trial finds smokers who previously tried to quit and failed had greater cessation success if their treatment plan doses were increased or, in some cases, altered.
Diet
5 ways MD Anderson is researching the link between food and cancer
The relationship between what we eat and drink and our cancer risk is complex. It’s been the subject of research for decades. But could specific foods or nutrients impact our cancer risk – or even cancer treatment?
5 foods and drinks linked to cancer
Clinical dietitian Alyssa Tatum shares five food groups that have been linked to cancer and gives tips on how to approach your relationship with these foods going forward.
Do sugary drinks increase colorectal cancer risk?
The Yun Laboratory’s research explores how diet affects the intestine, with one project aiming to understand how sugary drinks can impact colorectal cancer development.Ahead, she shares more about her research into sugary beverages, including how we can apply these findings to our own diets.
Why is red meat bad for you?
From barbeque to brisket and sausage to steak, red meat is a mealtime and menu staple.Yet, for cancer prevention, it’s best to limit the amount of red meat you eat.
Exercise
Is walking good exercise? 4 top questions answered
Simple as it may be, incorporating walking into an exercise routine can still lead to questions: Does every speed of walking count as exercise? How much should I walk each day? Do I need to do any other types of exercise, or is walking enough?
Alcohol Use
12 things to know about alcohol and cancer
Drinking alcohol is linked to an increased risk for several cancers. Hearing this might lead to questions like ‘Is all alcohol linked to cancer?’ and ‘Do I need to stop drinking entirely?’ For answers, we called on Therese Bevers, M.D., medical director of MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center, and Victoria Lee, a senior clinical dietitian.
What does drinking alcohol do to your body?
We spoke to physician Maher Karam-Hage, M.D., researcher Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, Ph.D., and senior clinical dietitian Victoria Lee to learn how alcohol impacts the body and the best way to proceed.
Sun Exposure
How does sunscreen work? Understanding UV protection
Choosing a sunscreen isn’t as easy as it might seem. For help navigating the sometimes cloudy world of sunscreen, we spoke to Saira George, M.D., a dermatologist at MD Anderson in Sugar Land.
What happens when you get a sunburn
Sunburn causes skin sensations that many of us are all too familiar with: stinging, burning, blistering, peeling, and, of course, that hallmark redness.But why does sunburn happen? And are there any health risks that last after a sunburn has faded?
Cancer Screening
HPV tests with self-collection: What to know
In May 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved self-collection to test for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. HPV, or the human papillomavirus, is a group of more than 100 viruses that can be passed from person to person.
Adoption and cancer risk: Should you get genetic testing?
A family history of cancer could put you at higher risk of developing that disease one day. But what if you were adopted as a child? How can you best assess your cancer risk as an adult?
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels by age: What to know
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein made by the prostate. PSA levels can be measured in the bloodstream, and elevated PSA levels can sometimes be a symptom of prostate cancer. So, this antigen gives doctors a starting point to evaluate your risk of having that disease.
How to reduce your breast cancer risk
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, there are ways to reduce your risk. As a breast medical oncologist, my top advice is to practice breast awareness, follow screening guidelines and tell your doctor if you have a family history of cancer.
Featured Cancer Prevention Research Labs
Prevention Research Resources