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Cancer Programs Helping Michigan Residents

Cancer Programs Helping Michigan Residents

 
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has programs to help people living in Michigan avoid, find and live with cancer. Many programs are given money by the federal government through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants. See the details below for ways cancer programs are helping people living in Michigan.

 

  • BC3NP gives low-income women access to breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up tests if needed. BC3NP is a federal program given money by CDC. BC3NP does not pay for cancer care, but women may be able to take part in a special program that will pay for cancer care.

    • In 2023-2024, BC3NP provided services to over 6,200 women. Breast or cervical cancer was found in 124 women, who then got on time and correct care.
       
    • Since 1991, BC3NP has:
      • Provided 269,430 uninsured and underinsured women with over 610,000 breast and cervical cancer screenings and follow-up services.
      • Found 5,383 breast cancers and 6,423 pre-cervical and harmful cervical cancers.
         
    • Since 2001, the program has enrolled over 10,000 eligible clients in a special program to get breast or cervical cancer care. Many women would have limited or no access to cancer care if not enrolled in this program.
       
    • Read a success story about the BC3NP: Offering Flexible Hours and Locations | NBCCEDP | CDC

    Community partners have shared thoughts about the value of Michigan’s BC3NP:

    • "The program has been helping women in access mammograms and pap smears as well as follow-up and treatment services for over 30 years! We serve our communities with multiple locations, and it is our honor to deliver compassionate, personal, and dignified care."
       
    • "Chronic disease health programs mean a lot to me as a cancer survivor myself. I believe in the power of early detection, and I want to make sure I can educate the community on the importance of early screening and being able to offer them the services."
       
    • “This program (BC3NP) has enabled us to provide essential women's health screenings to uninsured, low-income patients who would not have access to them otherwise.”
       
    • “This program (BC3NP) preserves the life of numerous women. They express gratitude for this program, as it alleviates their fears and concerns. This program provides fair cancer treatment to them with Arabic materials and resources.”
       
    • “I skipped my mammogram and pap exam due to lack of insurance coverage. However, upon rediscovering the BCCCP flyer, I contacted them and received assistance in scheduling my exams. The staff were courteous and supportive throughout the process, ensuring that I felt cared for despite my lack of insurance.”
       

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  • WISEWOMAN (the program) helps people understand their risk of heart disease and make healthy choices. Health coaches work with each participant. The healthy choices participants make also help them avoid cancer and other diseases. This program is a federal program given money by CDC.

    • The program did almost 3,000 heart disease screenings and 9,820 health coaching contacts from 2019-2023.
       
    • Since 2014, there have been 21,145 health behavior support service contacts to women enrolled in the program.
       
    • Since 2001, the program has done 53,834 heart disease screenings and 101,875 health coaching contacts for 24,486 women.
       

    Community partners have shared thoughts about the value of Michigan’s WISEWOMAN program:

    • "The WISEWOMAN program did impact many participants in my community for understanding their cardiovascular risk factors and making healthy lifestyle choices."
       

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  • Young adults with breast cancer are defined as adults who are found to have breast cancer when they are under the age of 45. For these young people, the disease comes at a time when they often have family and social responsibilities and are working. The program offers resources and tools for young adults with breast cancer, their caregivers, health care providers, and others who want to learn more. Breast Cancer in Young Adults Program (BCYAP) is a federal program given money by the CDC.

    • In 2023-2024, 227 health care providers were educated through program outreach. Weekly messages with program resources were sent to 5,856 young breast cancer survivors, people with metastatic breast cancer, caregivers, health care providers, and community members. BCYAP engaged 95 young adult cancer survivors to share their experiences and opinions on program work.
       
    • Since the BCYAP began in Michigan in 2019, it has been working to train healthcare providers on the unique needs of young adult breast cancer survivors.
      • 681 healthcare providers have completed training sessions.
      • 303 people watched have recorded healthcare provider trainings.
      • 548 navigators and community health workers (CHWs) have completed training.
      • 1,262 people have viewed recorded navigator training sessions.

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  • Comprehensive cancer control (CCC) is state and community partners working together to reduce new cases, death, and suffering from cancer. CCC looks at avoiding cancer, finding new cases early by using screening tests, better care, and support for people living with cancer. The Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (CCCP) is a federal program given money by the CDC.

    • In 2024-2025, the CCCP has:
      • Given education and training to over 300 health care, public health professionals, and cancer survivors on cancer prevention and control topics.
      • Had over 100 public health workers, health care providers, community members, cancer survivors, and caregivers take part in cancer planPDF icon implementation.
         
    • Since the program began in 1998, the CCCP has:
      • Led the creation and use of four statewide plans to reduce new cases, death, and suffering from cancer for all Michigan residents.
      • Formed over 20 workgroups made up of health professionals, health care providers, community members, cancer survivors, and caregivers to focus on cancer projects for our state. Examples include:
        • The Michigan Ovarian Cancer Patient Navigation phone line and website.
        • Guides to managing symptoms after prostate cancer treatment.
      • Worked with partners to host focus groups across the state with Michigan residents to develop information and tools about cancer topics like radon testing, HPV vaccinations, cancer clinical trials,PDF icon pain management,PDF icon and healthy lifestyles for cancer survivors.

    The Michigan Cancer Consortium published a success story about work with its members across the state to increase cancer screening rates among employees and dependents. Read the national success story here: CGiA: Increasing Employee Cancer Screening | The Community Guide

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  • When cancer starts in the colon or rectum, it is called colorectal cancer (CRC). The Michigan Colorectal Cancer Control Program (MI CRCCP) and its partners work to increase and improve the quality of CRC cancer screening and follow-up testing in health systems and primary care clinics for people with limited access to health care. MI CRCCP is a federal program given money by the CDC.

    • From 2020 to 2024, the MI CRCCP worked with 16 primary care clinics and 61 doctors. This led to a 13% overall increase in CRC screening rates across all clinics, with the largest increase being 36%. As a result, 21,303 people in Michigan got CRC screenings on time.
       
    • From 2010 to 2020, MI CRCCP was one of 13 programs in the country given money to give free CRC screening and follow-up services to uninsured people. It provided 7,177 CRC screenings to uninsured residents of Michigan.
       
    • Since 2010, the MI CRCCP has worked with about 16 health systems, three supporting partner organizations, six health departments, and 74 clinics to successfully carry out programs that helped increase CRC screening and follow-up tests.
       
    • From 2023 to 2025, program staff took the MI CRCCP inflatable colon to 13 community events, reaching about 1,000 people. The goal is to raise knowledge about the importance of CRC screening and reduce fear and stigma. The inflatable colon is available to clinics, community organizations, and partners across the state to help with public health education.
       
    • Muskegon Family Care increased CRC screening rates from 47% to 78% during 2015-2020, using creative outreach to serve people in Muskegon. Watch the success story video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ciwN90B3R4.
       
    • More success stories tell about work in other communities

    Clinic partners have shared thoughts about the value of MI CRCCP:

    • “We really appreciate how the projects have helped us focus on our screening processes, assess/develop improvement efforts and increase our screening rates.”
       
    • “[We learned] that with additional education to patients they are more willing to colorectal screen.”
       

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  • The Lung Cancer Control Program (LCCP) is working to increase lung cancer screening in Michigan. Lung cancer screening has been proven to reduce lung cancer deaths. The program promotes policy and health systems change to help ensure all eligible people receive lung cancer screening. This includes decisions about eligibility for lung cancer screening and referrals to both lung cancer screening and tobacco dependence treatment services.

    • In 2017, the LCCP partnered with a health system to provide 198 follow-up lung cancer screening letters to 219 patients who have had a positive initial lung cancer screening.
    • In 2018, a physician participating in the LCCP developed a lung cancer screening decision aid to increase lung cancer screening referrals from an average of 60 patients a month to 90 patients a month.
    • The LCCP has offered provider education on lung cancer screening to over 300 health care professionals since 2020.
    • The LCCP has worked with large health organizations and a statewide group of Tribes and Tribal Organizations to help more adults get screened for lung cancer.
      • In 2022-2023, one health organization made system changes to better identify which patients should be screened for lung cancer. As a result, the number of patients whose lung cancer screening eligibility was unknown dropped from 32.2% to just 1.5%. By 2023-2024, no patients had unknown eligibility for lung cancer screening.
    • From 2023–2024, the LCCP worked with partners to conduct two assessments:
    1. Examined lung cancer screening among Michigan’s Medicaid-eligible population.
    2. Identified provider-related barriers to lung cancer screening.

    The findings are guiding the LCCP in developing ways to improve lung cancer screening in Michigan.
     

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  • The Cancer Screening Project (CaSPr) offers free coordination and navigation services for colorectal, cervical, breast, and lung cancer to people living with HIV (PLWH) in Michigan. Since the program began in October 2021, CaSPr has:

    • Gotten a total of 297 requests for cancer screening coordination help for resources related to HIV, cancer screening, health insurance, cancer screening funding, HIV-experienced heath care providers, and HIV-experienced radiology departments.
       
    • Gotten referrals for 92 PLWH who needed navigation services to guide them through the cancer screening process.
      • CaSPr has successfully guided PLWH through the process to complete 104 cancer screenings.
         
    • Given 66 lunch-and-learn presentations to Federally Qualified Health Centers, infectious disease providers, local LGBTQ+ pride centers, medical case management teams, social worker teams, primary care provider offices, and community health centers.
       
    • Visited 12 different cities across Michigan, including Flint, Detroit, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Lansing, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Saginaw, Battle Creek, and Sault Ste. Marie to increase knowledge about cancer screening needs for PLWH. These trips were coordinated with a traveling mammogram bus and teaching tools like the giant colon and the giant lungs.
       
    • Collaborated with 37 health organizations to create the health village at Motor City Pride and Grand Rapids Pride 2024.

    Community partners have shared thoughts about the value of CaSPr:

    • "I learned to promote screening; know there's options for uninsured and others with barriers to tests."
       
    • "I will work closely with our clinic staff to make patients aware of CaSPr for those desiring additional patient navigation."
       
    • "I have an increased knowledge of cancer screening recommendations and more comfort talking with other people/clients about it."
       

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