2026-2030 Nevada Cancer Plan

Nevada Cancer Coalition (NCC) is a non-profit collaboration of organizations and individuals dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer in our state. NCC, in partnership with Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, and Nevada Central Cancer Registry, develops the plan, carries out various plan components, and evaluates the plan.  

This plan was developed over the course of more than a year, beginning in March 2024 with a survey of coalition members to identify new and continuing priorities, opportunities, and challenges for cancer control in Nevada. A series of in-person and virtual meetings followed, bringing together clinical and public health professionals, survivors, advocates, and caregivers to refine the results of the survey, rank priorities, and provide insights. To secure additional feedback on communities disproportionately affected by cancer, smaller virtual meetings were held with representatives from tribal, rural, Black, and LGBTQ+ communities. 

During NCC’s annual Cancer Control Summit in August 2024, attendees formed groups to discuss cross-cutting issues that influence cancer control in the state. This brainstorming session resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of how these issues affect cancer control, from risk through survivorship and end of life, and provided additional context for development of the plan’s objectives and strategies. Eight workgroups were formed, each working across a series of virtual statewide meetings to develop objectives, strategies, and indicators for the plan's goals and using data secured from the Nevada Central Cancer Registry. Once finalized, those goals, objectives, and strategies coalesced into this final plan. Throughout the process, a steering committee of cancer control leaders from across the state provided direction and support.  

This plan embraces policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies – a way of modifying the environment to make healthy choices practical and available to everyone. By changing policies and systems, and shaping physical environments, communities can have larger impacts on health outcomes such as cancer and other chronic diseases with a relatively small investment of time and resources. Ultimately, an effective PSE approach should seek to enact broader level change and further cancer control within communities.  

Objectives outlined in this plan were developed using a SMARTIE framework: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely, Inclusive, and Equity-minded. Each objective can be measured by one or more indicators with progress charted annually or over the plan’s five-year timeline. Baseline indicators use the most recently available data, and targets were established using one of three methods. Where available, U.S. data was included for comparison.  

• Annual percentage change: Some targets were set by calculating a 1% increase or decrease from the baseline per year for each year of the plan. This method can be seen in indicators such as screening rates. 

• National average: Some targets were set to bring Nevada’s measure to the same level as the current (plan development year) national average. This method was used in measures such as those for workforce development. 

• Reasonable estimate: Targets for indicators that are not rates or percentages and do not have an equivalent national measure were set using a reasonable estimate of what should or could be achieved within the timeframe. This was used for measures such as reports, resources, or educational opportunities.  

Plan Implementation, Evaluation and Limiting Factors 

As collaboration is at the core of comprehensive cancer control, cancer control partners, the coalition and its work groups, and community members are essential to successful implementation of the plan. Everyone has a role to play in decreasing the burden of cancer. If you’re inspired to act, you can: 

• Join or volunteer with the Nevada Cancer Coalition Serve on a committee, task force, or collaborative group 
• Work on implementing a cancer-related strategy 
• Form a new action group or network 
• Take care of your personal health, and encourage friends and family to do the same 
• Champion effective wellness policies at your workplace or within your community 
• Contact decision makers in your community and encourage them to use the plan to improve health outcomes  
• Use the plan as a guide to develop organizational, community, or statewide policies 

Evaluation of the plan is performed annually by the State of Nevada’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program in partnership with Nevada Cancer Coalition, documenting progress, successes, and challenges for each objective. Through this annual evaluation, stakeholders can identify areas where greater emphasis needs to be applied to achieve objective targets, while also highlighting effective or ineffective strategies that may require modification to reach the desired outcome. The success of the evaluation depends, in part, on the ability to collect both quantitative and qualitative data on progress made over the course of each year. 

The availability of data limits some evaluation. Consistent across all states, reported cancer data is delayed due to elapsed time for cancer registries to collect and report case data, update case information, and provide information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or National Cancer Institute (NCI), and then for those entities to compile and disseminate said data. As such, 2022 and 2023 are the most recent years of incidence and mortality data available for this plan. Additionally, some data sources used to set indicators are only available every other year, limiting consistent annual evaluation for some measures. 

Data limitations and challenges are discussed in greater depth in the cross-cutting issues section of the plan. 

About Demographic Categories Used in This Plan 

Nevada is a state with a rich diversity of people who have distinct cultures, preferences, experiences, and socioeconomic conditions. The nature of data collection, however, often does not completely delineate these differences, and we acknowledge that the data presented does not fully reflect the complexity of Nevada’s residents.  

In some cases, data collection methods have not progressed in capturing or reporting certain characteristics, such as sexual orientation or gender identity. For decades, data has been collected, and guidelines have been developed using a gender binary—male or female—which has failed to account for transgender, non-binary, and other gender-diverse individuals. This binary framework may contribute to inaccurate screening, incidence, and mortality data, and assuredly results in research gaps, missed screenings, and barriers to care. We acknowledge that this does not fully reflect the lived experiences or identities of all individuals and advocate for more inclusive data collection and guideline practices moving forward. 

Additionally, none of the racial and ethnic groups discussed in this report are monolithic. These broad categories often mask important differences within groups, such as the wide variation in cancer outcomes and access to care among subpopulations identified as Asian American. Individuals may also identify as more than one race or ethnicity, leading to less specific data or underrepresentation. This is often the case for Native Americans, who identify as two or more races more frequently than other groups, may consider their race over their indigenous identity, and may also be classified as Hispanic or Latino—all of which can result in their omission from Native American counts.  

While aggregation of these categories is necessary to achieve sufficient sample sizes for meaningful analysis of cancer screening rates, incidence, and mortality, we urge partners to interpret and implement this plan within the unique context of their own communities. 

There are many types of data that Nevada uses to guide cancer control efforts, including cancer case data, risk factor and screening survey data, population demographics data, workforce and licensing data, and qualitative data gleaned from community assessments and individual feedback.  

Cancer Case Data

The Nevada Central Cancer Registry gathers de-identified patient, diagnosis, and treatment data from hospitals, outpatient clinics, radiology departments, doctors’ offices, labs, and surgical centers to develop comprehensive, standardized cancer case records that are used for surveillance, research, and public health planning. Information submitted to the registry may include patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment information, outcomes, genomic data, and clinical trials participation. This data provides state incidence and mortality figures for all cancers and is aggregated at the national level to further aggregate, analyze, and publish cancer statistics for the entire U.S. population. Nevada’s data is available through the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Analytics. National cancer data is available through the SEER program, short for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, and is aggregated into tools such as CDC Wonder and SEER* Explorer.  

Screening and Risk Factor Data

The CDC, for years, has conducted nationwide surveys to gather information from individuals in all states and territories on personal behaviors that may increase or decrease risk of disease and on screening behaviors. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is one such survey conducted annually among adults that captures data on cancer-related measures such as smoking history, uptake of breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer screening, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and nutrition. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), also spearheaded by the CDC, is a similar survey conducted among youth in middle and high school and capturing data on tobacco and substance use, physical activity and nutrition, dating violence, and other adverse childhood events. Nevada’s WebIZ is a statewide database that collects immunization data for children and adults, including collecting first and second dose administration of the HPV vaccine. Other Nevada-based data collection includes the Adult Tobacco Survey, Kindergarten Health Survey, and state-mandated height and weight data collection for Clark and Washoe County 4th and 7th grade students. 

State Demographic, Health, and Workforce Data

The Nevada Office of Statewide Initiatives at the University of Nevada, Reno houses the Nevada Health Workforce Research Center which is focused on collecting and analyzing data on healthcare workforce supply and demand. The center collects data from provider licensing boards and associations, various state agencies, the U.S. Census Bureau, Veterans Health Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations and many others. This data is aggregated into a variety of products including Nevada Instant Atlas, Nevada Rural and Frontier Health Data Book, Physician Workforce in Nevada, and Graduate Medical Education Trends in Nevada.    

Other Data Sources of Note

CDC Places, CDC’s U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations, American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics Center 

The previous cancer plan, covering the years 2021-2025, outlined 16 objectives measured through 22 indicators. The latest available data was used to determine progress toward each objective.

Improving

↓ Percentage of youth who use vapor products
↑ Percentage of adults who are former smokers
↑ Homes tested and mitigated for radon or built radon-resistant
↓ Percentage of Nevadans without health insurance
↑ Number of healthcare professionals including physicians, advance practice registered nurses and oncology certified nurses
↑Number of community and clinical navigators

Little or No Change

Percentage of Nevadans screened for lung or colorectal cancer
Annual education opportunities for healthcare professionals
Annual number of state cancer data reports

Worsening

↓ HPV vaccination completion rate among adolescents
↑ Percentage of youth and adults who are obese
↑ Incidence of melanoma
↓ Percentage of Nevadans screened for breast cancer

Measurement of several objectives was challenging, and in one case not possible, due to a lack of available or consistent data. For example, although cervical cancer screening is included as a core question on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the questions about screening were adjusted for the 2022 survey and data has not been published since the 2020 survey. The report card used to measure palliative care programs in hospitals was also discontinued, eliminating the data source used to measure that indicator.

Policy Successes

Policy change remains one of the most effective tools in improving the health of a population and establishing a progressive healthcare infrastructure. As such, advocating for best-practice policies to prevent and control cancer and provide equitable access to care has remained a steadfast component of Nevada’s cancer plans. From developing and supporting legislation to educating policymakers about bills that would be detrimental to public health, we have realized successes in all areas of the cancer continuum. Below are some of the policy successes achieved during the 2021, 2023, and 2025 legislative sessions.

2021

• SB 460 - Added back funding that had been cut from the state’s general fund due to COVID-19 deficits, re-funding essential work to prevent youth vaping.
• AB 187 - Designated the month of September as “Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Prevention and Awareness Month.”
• AB 471 - Clarified who is required to report data to the Nevada Central Cancer Registry and established consistent funding to the registry program.
• AB 191 - Added Medicaid coverage for the services of community health workers.

2023

• SB194 - Provided critical patient protections for step therapy protocols.
• SB 330 - Provided access to all breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing options by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for all approved modalities.
• AB255 - Established provisions for biomarker testing providing coverage for the diagnosis, treatment, management, and monitoring of cancer.

2025

• SB170 – Provided access to annual health screenings, including cancer screenings, for firefighters and other first responders.
• SB189 – Provided for the licensure and regulation of genetic counselors.
• SB312 – Established the Tribal Health Authority Council to adopt a plan to address and eliminate barriers to healthcare for Native Americans in the state.
• SB387 – Required state-regulated insurers to cover lung cancer screening.
• AB234 – Protected Medicaid coverage for screening for lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
• AB428 – Required state-regulated insurers to cover fertility preservation for individuals diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.

The crosscutting issues affecting cancer control in Nevada can be attributed largely to social determinants of health (SDoH), including access to healthcare, public health infrastructure, race and ethnicity, and environmental factors.

A two-track approach to overcoming the negative ramifications of SDoH in cancer control involves both mainstreaming these issues into all policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives and implementing targeted interventions to address specific challenges. This dual strategy ensures that crosscutting issues like health equity, climate change, housing, and food insecurity are considered at every stage and level of community action, rather than being treated as isolated concerns.

Strategies to address crosscutting issues are embedded throughout this plan to ensure solutions benefit all Nevadans, and targeted interventions are recommended to address unique challenges faced by particular groups, such as supporting access to culturally affirming and trauma-informed care.

Continue exploring the plan's crosscutting issues.

Cancer control in the United States is being transformed by rapid advancements in technology that are improving outcomes, expanding access, and creating more personalized care. At the same time, shifts in policy have created a more dynamic environment in which cancer researchers, physicians, and public health professionals operate. 

Innovations in screening technology, methods, and modalities have improved physicians’ ability to detect cancers early while also reducing potential patient harms and improving specificity and sensitivity. Some examples include: 

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning have improved imaging analysis and accuracy to reduce false positives and helped clinicians to develop risk stratification models to personalize screening schedules. 

• Advanced imaging, such as 3D mammography and low-dose CT have improved cancer detection rates, improved comfort, and lower radiation doses. 

• Non-invasive blood-based, stool-based, and liquid biopsy cancer detection tests identify cancer-specific biomarkers, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins, for numerous cancers that lack current screening protocols. 

• At-home screening options, such as HPV self-collection for cervical cancer or stool-based testing for colorectal cancer, have reduced barriers to screening including for those with limited access to healthcare or who have been exposed to trauma. 

• Regulatory and guideline improvements have updated protocols to improve risk-based screening, such as in instances where the patient has a family history, dense breast tissue, or other risk factor. 

Many of these same innovations have impacted treatment as well. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used to predict therapy outcomes and develop advanced imaging for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. Genome editing and precision medicine is paving the way for targeted therapies and cancer vaccines. And large-scale data integration and research collaboration is allowing national data ecosystems and tumor atlases to be aggregated and analyzed, accelerating research and enabling more personalized care.  

It is important to recognize that changes in public health policy and funding can have significant effects on clinical research, cancer control efforts, and patient care. Federal investment has been the foundation of nearly every major advancement in cancer research, prevention, detection, and treatment in the U.S. over the past five decades. Reducing resources available to research institutions slows the pace of scientific discovery and limits opportunities for innovation. Additionally, federal funding and support have played a crucial role in Nevada’s cancer control initiatives and have improved access to healthcare for thousands of Nevadans. Changes in public health policy and broader federal policy have also affected the collection and dissemination of public health data. These developments may impact the availability and reliability of data, which is essential for monitoring cancer trends, setting measurable goals, and evaluating progress.   

To ensure the long-term stability and growth of cancer control efforts, a diversified approach to public health funding—including contributions from state and local sources—would be beneficial. This would enable Nevada to address state-specific priorities and strengthen its public health infrastructure and data collection capabilities while also aligning with broader public health objectives and ensuring sustainability. 

Regardless of the specific mix of funding sources, continued partnership, expertise, and support from federal health agencies such as the CDC remain vital. These resources help sustain Nevada’s progress in cancer prevention, early detection, survivorship, and surveillance, building on more than two decades of dedicated work in the state.