Ï㽶ֱ²¥

In rural Texas, there are significant barriers to cancer care. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Ï㽶ֱ²¥) Rural Cancer Collaborative will close the gap between cutting-edge treatment and underserved communities, forging a path to improved health outcomes.

Building Infrastructure for Prevention and Screening In Rural Texas 

Rural Texans face significant barriers to early cancer detection due to a lack of diagnostic infrastructure, including Proton Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) imaging. Ï㽶ֱ²¥ is addressing this by investing in these essential tools and establishing screening programs with rural hospital partners. Through mobile units and telehealth, Ï㽶ֱ²¥ will expand access, ensuring earlier diagnoses and improving survival rates. Distance should not determine survivability—when it comes to cancer, time matters.

Improving Access to Resources to Enhance Early Detection 

By partnering with local health care providers and investing in advanced diagnostic tools like PET and CT imaging— often inaccessible to rural Texans—Ï㽶ֱ²¥ is strengthening the infrastructure for early cancer detection and higher survival rates.

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Current Projects

Cancer Prevention Program

The Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Cancer Prevention Program emphasizes community engagement and early prevention efforts, particularly for breast and colon cancer. This program also aims to address the high prevalence of lung cancer in the region. 

ACTION for Big Country Grant

This program addresses the shortage of colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings in the Abilene area by providing CRC education, fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screenings and colonoscopy services to uninsured or underinsured individuals.