Welcome back to Navigation Refresh, a recurring, informative feature for patient navigators. In this issue, we will explore how patient navigation fits within the context of comprehensive cancer control.
Comprehensive cancer control is a collaborative approach that leverages multiple sectors, including community assets, health organizations, and policy and decision-makers to reduce the cancer burden in the United States and globally.1 Each state and some Pacific Island jurisdictions and Tribes have comprehensive cancer control plans. They receive funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to facilitate the coordination of resources to advance cancer prevention, early detection, cancer survivorship, and environmental and system changes to reduce the burden of cancer in their respective jurisdictions.
Patient navigation cuts across most of cancer control priorities, including health promotion, early detection, access to quality treatment, and optimized cancer survivorship. Comprehensive cancer control coalitions have conducted needs assessments to focus patient navigation and advocate for navigation sustainability among policy and decision-makers. States have embedded navigation into cancer prevention and screening initiatives. Others have built professional networks for ongoing peer sharing of resources.
In 2025-2026, the Nevada Cancer Coalition developed a Community of Practice (CoP) to advance the professional development of oncology patient navigators in Nevada. Participants were required to apply to the CoP, complete assigned modules from the GW Oncology Patient Navigation Fundamentals training, and participate in live CoP sessions.
Sessions coupled preassigned content from the GW training with live Nevada-specific context and case examples (Table).
Program participants voiced appreciation for the CoP, with one participant saying, “[The CoP] provides a collaborative environment that fosters shared learning, practical strategies, and real-world problem-solving. The opportunity to engage with professionals across different sectors enhances knowledge, builds confidence, and supports the development of effective navigation practices. This type of learning community is especially valuable for those working in underserved populations, as it promotes innovation and collective impact.”
Another participant said, “My biggest takeaway was the power of patient navigation and collaboration in truly making a difference in peoples’ lives. This experience reinforced for me that, even in the most difficult circumstances, having the right support, resources, and guidance can profoundly impact patients and their families.”
A staff member of the Nevada Cancer Coalition appreciated how the CoP “really enhanced the GW training by adding Nevada-specific navigation learning tools/resources.”
Connect With Your State Cancer Coalition
This feature has highlighted the innovation of one comprehensive cancer control coalition in advancing capacity of state-specific oncology patient navigation through structured training, peer sharing, and a professional network.
The GW Technical Assistance Program team is putting the finishing touches on a brief training called Strengthening Patient Navigation to Improve Cancer Control Outcomes. In this training, we provide examples of how states have identified gaps in patient navigation capacity, convened patient navigators for peer learning, shared resources, advanced professional development, and advocated for funding to embed navigation into screening initiatives.
For updates on this free training, subscribe to our newsletters at https://cancercontroltap.org/newsletters or visit https://gwcconlineacademy.org in the coming months.
This edition of Navigation Refresh aligns with Standard 7 (Professional Development) of the Professional Oncology Navigation Task Force (PONT)2 and Core Competencies Domain 2: Knowledge for Practice.3
Thank you to Amy Thompson, Melissa Krall, Kristen Hackbarth, and Valerie Martinez from the Nevada Cancer Coalition for their leadership on the work highlighted in this article as well as their willingness to share this work with the broader patient navigation and comprehensive cancer control communities.
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