Sheila Williamson-Carson

Donna Cericola, RN, Shore Memorial Cancer Center, and Sheila Carson, American Cancer Society

Sheila Williamson-Carson

Known as the Camden City Cancer Initiative, the effort is one of at least eight similar partnerships being launched across New Jersey, said American Cancer Society spokeswoman Sheila Williamson-Carson.

The Camden City Cancer Initiative is one of at least eight similar partnerships being launched across New Jersey, said Sheila Williamson-Carson, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.

"What we know is catastrophic illness like cancer disproportionately affects minorities and lower-income residents, so we're launching this initiative in areas with high minority populations," she said.

According to state statistics, men in Camden City have a 20 percent higher rate of cancer than men countywide, and women in the city have a 58 percent higher rate of invasive cervical cancer than women countywide.

The Camden effort will bring together health-care providers such as Lourdes Health System, Cooper University Hospital and Virtua Health, along with health outreach workers, city government officials and cancer awareness advocates.

They intend to increase early screening and treatment rates among minorities, Williamson-Carson said.They will work to address treatment disparities among the uninsured.

They also will focus more attention on employer screenings by organizing workplace cancer education and screening referral efforts, she said.

"A lot of insured people aren't getting the screenings they need," Williamson-Carson said.

The money will fund cancer research, education, advocacy and patient service programs, according to Sheila Williamson-Carson, regional executive director of the American Cancer Society for South Jersey.

But Cancer Awareness Week wasn't just about fund raising.It was also about promoting healthy lifestyles for employees and their families.