Shikha Jain, Founder, Chair of the Board (Former CEO) at Women in Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at The University of Illinois Cancer Center, shared on LinkedIn:
”Every week, someone asks me the same question: ‘As an oncologist, what do you actually do to lower cancer risk for your own family?’
The answer isn’t glamorous. There are no detoxes. No miracle supplements. No wellness hacks.
It’s vaccines. Screening. Moving regularly. Eating a healthy dietary pattern. Limiting alcohol. Not smoking. Sunscreen. And being honest about where the evidence is still evolving.
But this post also made me think about something bigger.
Health systems spend billions treating cancer. Comparatively little is invested in helping people understand how to prevent it, or even who is responsible for communicating evidence-based prevention in the first place.
So here’s my question for healthcare leaders:
- Who owns cancer prevention communication in your organization?
- Not who occasionally posts on social media.
- Not who updates the website.
- Who has protected time, organizational support, and accountability for making sure patients and communities receive clear, evidence-based information before they ever need an oncologist?
If the answer is ‘no one,’ that’s not just a communication gap. It’s a prevention gap.
I’ve included the full breakdown below of what I actually do, and don’t do, to lower cancer risk for my own family. I’d love to hear: How does your organization approach prevention communication, and who owns it?
And if you want to learn more about how you can spread evidence based science information and use your platform for the good of public health and our communities, join us at the 3rd COSMO conference Aug 7-8 in Chicago!”
Other articles about COSMO On OncoDaily.
