The Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART)'s contributions toward reducing Asian American cancer health disparities, 2000-2017 Introduction

BACKGROUNDIn 2000 and in 2 subsequent 5-year cycles, the National Cancer Institute funded grantees on a regional and national basis to address community needs for cancer awareness, research, and training. The Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) is fortunate to have been funded since 2000 to focus on mitigating cancer health disparities facing Asian Americans residing primarily in California and Hawaii. This article highlights AANCART's achievements with respect to the original specific aims and unanticipated outcomes in its most recent funded cycle. METHODSSources included reports to the National Cancer Institute and peer-reviewed articles as well as the insights of the 3 principal investigators. RESULTSAll aims of the original application (infrastructure, outreach, research, and training) were attained or exceeded. Most distinctive was the completion and publication of 8 randomized controlled trials to address Asian American cancer health disparities and its nurture of 14 new and early stage investigators who have been productive in terms of research career trajectories. CONCLUSIONSAANCART is contributing to mitigating Asian American cancer health disparities by catalyzing academic and community collaborations that have resulted in linguistically specific and culturally tailored educational products, scientifically rigorous interventions addressed at cancer risk factors, and nurturing new and early stage Asian American cancer investigators. Cancer 2018;124:1527-34. (c) 2018 American Cancer Society. Seventeen years of contributions of the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training to mitigate the unique, unusual, and unnecessary cancer burden facing Asian Americans are documented. Achievements in cancer awareness, training, outreach, and research are described both in reference to stated objectives and unanticipated outcomes.