June 19 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT
Cancer in the Allegheny
Cancer rates in Allegheny County, PA, are consistently higher than state and national averages, yet public health messaging continues to focus primarily on lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking. Discussion of industrial pollution is far less common, despite the region’s location within a major industrial corridor and near some of the nation’s most productive shale gas fields. Allegheny County ranks among the top 2% of U.S. counties for cancer risk from air toxics and the top 1% for risk from large industrial sources.
The Science Communication Network (SCN) is working to change that narrative and is seeking P-SNAP allies to help. Environmental contributors to cancer remain underrepresented in public discourse and even within some medical institutions. SCN’s research found gaps in environmental health education across regional medical societies, medical schools, and healthcare systems.
To strengthen public awareness and health communications, SCN is recruiting healthcare professionals—especially those with local credibility—to communicate environmental health risks and scientific evidence. The effort will engage physicians in public health organizations and expand the number of medical experts prepared to speak with media, policymakers, communities, and their peers.
Join us at the P-SNAP Roundtable on Friday, June 19, as we set the foundation for this much-needed endeavor. Amy Kostant, the executive director of SCN, will provide details on the initiative, its goals, and its structure. Pittsburgh-area pediatrician Ned Ketyer will tell us about the health data and the stakes pertaining to local fracking and plastic production. Lauren Minsky, PhD, creator of the People’s Cancer Incidence Screening Tool (PCIST) will talk about what we can learn about exposures and health by mapping the data on a local level.
