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September 2016
Health Observances 
Ovarian Cancer Awarness Month


T he month of September is designated as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In health care, timing and detection are vital.  Although commonly detected at advanced stages, ovarian cancer has a very high 5-year survival rate when found in early stages.

Ovarian cancer  is the deadliest gynecological cancer in the United States. In this form of cancer, which only affects women, certain cells in the ovary become abnormal and multiply uncontrollably to form a  tumor. In roughly 9 in 10 cases, ovarian cancer occurs after age 40. In 2013, there were roughly 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer - and 14,030 ovarian cancer-related deaths - in the U.S.  According to the American Cancer Society , a woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 75. Her risk of dying from the disease is about 1 in 100.  At the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 70% of the Ovarian Cancer Research Portfolio is allocated to studying treatment (31%), biological factors (21%),and early detection, diagnosis and prognosis (20%). Learn more here.
Fruits and Veggies - More Matters Month
If an ounce of prevention is worth of pound of cure (and it  is!), then we should all be stocking up on fruits and veggies. According to the  CDC , from heart disease to diabetes to obesity, research data confirms the importance of including fruits and veggies as a central part of a healthy diet. It's an essential strategy for preventing chronic disease.  

For September, in observance of Fruits and Veggies-More Matters Month , HPRC provides below a list of ten policy strategies for promoting fruits and vegetables for all communities.The strategies - recommended by the   CDC- use a "systems approach" to improving the availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables. These policy strategies address multiple windows of opportunity, including policy councils, farm-to-institution programs, agricultural programs, food retail stores, workplaces, and emergency food programs.

The CDC's Ten Policy Strategies  
  • Strategy 1. Promote food policy councils to improve food environment at state and local levels. 
  • Strategy 2. Improve access to retail stores that sell high-quality fruits and veggies or increase. The availability of high-quality fruits and veggies at retail stores in underserved communities.
  • Strategy 3. Start or expand farm-to-institution programs in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and other institutions.
  • Strategy 4. Start or expand farmers' markets in all settings.
  • Strategy 5. Start or expand community supported agriculture programs in all settings.
  • S trategy 6. Ensure access to fruits and vegetable in workplace cafeterias and other food service venues. 
  • Strategy 7. Ensure access to fruits and vegetables at workplace meetings and events.
  • Strategy 8. Support and promote community and home gardens.
  • Strategy 9. Establish policies to incorporate fruit and vegetable activities into schools as a way to increase consumption.
  • Strategy 10. Include fruits and vegetables in emergency food programs.
F ruits and Veggies- More Matters Month  is sponsored by  Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF),a non-profit organization  partnering with the CDC to help spread the word about the health benefits of adding more fruits and veggies to the American diet. 
Click here   to obtain PBHF research data and food policy information.
Health Policy Research Consortium
Office: 301-375-2021
Email: info@hprc.info
Website: www.hprc.info 

HPRC, a CTIS, Inc. division, is supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number #1U54MD008608-01. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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