VTAAC Taskforce Meeting Information
Taskforce membership is open to anyone interested in reducing the burden of cancer in Vermont – providers, caregivers, community members, survivors and patients. No prior experience or specific expertise required. If you cannot attend the virtual taskforce meetings, you are still welcome to join to review meeting minutes and video recordings, and to participate via email. Reach out to coordinator@vtaac.org for more information.
Prevention & Detection Taskforce
- Activities focus on preventing cancer from occurring or recurring and detecting cancer at its earliest stages.
- Recent work: Two-part series on Prostate Cancer. 2023 Project: Cancer Screening Guidelines.
- Meets quarterly for 60 minutes.
Quality of Life Taskforce
- Activities focus on treating cancer with appropriate, quality care and ensuring the highest quality of life possible for cancer survivors.
- Recent work: Cancer Survivorship Resource Center – a home for all Vermont cancer survivorship resources.
- Meets quarterly for 60 minutes.
HPV Taskforce
- Activities focus on preventing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections in young Vermonters.
- Upcoming educational opportunity: click here.
- Meets every other month for 60 minutes. New 2025 schedule is coming soon!
Skin Cancer Taskforce
- Activities focus on supporting and promoting evidence-based collaborative strategies to improve skin cancer prevention and early detection among Vermonters.
- Meets every other month on the 1st Wednesday at 1 PM for 60 minutes.
Lung Cancer Screening Taskforce
- Activities focus on early detection of lung cancer in Vermonters and tobacco cessation efforts to reduce lung cancer risk.
- Meets every other month on the 2nd Thursday at noon for 60 minutes.
Colorectal Cancer Taskforce
- Activities focus on increasing early detection of colorectal cancer in Vermont.
- Recent work: Colorectal Cancer Communications Resources
- Meeting schedule is TBD for 2025.
Upcoming Opportunities
Upcoming Opportunities
Beginning the Conversation at Age 9: Evidence for Earlier Initiation of HPV Vaccination
Friday, January 24 from 12-1 pm
Join us for an informative discussion, led by Dr. Grace Ryan of UMass Chan Medical Center, designed to equip healthcare professionals and community members with the latest evidence for starting HPV vaccination at age 9.
Is there a difference in immune response or efficacy when starting HPV vaccination at age 9 versus age 11? What are the practical benefits of initiating HPV vaccination at age 9? Join the conversation to learn more. There will be a Q&A at the end of the presentation. This virtual educational session will be on Friday, January 24 from 12-1pm and will be recorded and shared out post-event.
Please share this opportunity widely!
Recent Partner Articles and Publications
Experiences and Ongoing Challenges of Food Insecure Households in Vermont and Maine
Dr. Meredith Niles and her colleagues at UVM have been conducting research on food security and its implications in northern New England. The quantitative and qualitative findings are powerful including (among many) significant differences between food secure and food insecure respondents regarding food sourcing, physical and mental health, and food access challenges.
Alcohol and Cancer Risk – The US Surgeon General’s Advisory 2025
There is a new advisory released by the U.S. Surgeon General regarding alcohol consumption and cancer risk, calling for warning labels on alcohol. According to the statement, alcohol use is “a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year.” Few Americans are aware of the correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. The purpose of this advisory is to provide scientific evidence for the relationship between cancer risk and alcohol, as well as increase public awareness.