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The reduction in cervical cancer (CC) in developed countries, due mainly to Pap testing, has not filtered down to Caribbean countries including Grenada despite accessible screening. This is attributed to a lack of knowledge and low screening. Researchers in low resource settings successfully trained lay health advisors (LHAs), using theory-based, culturally relevant interventions to reverse this trend. The use of LHAs in Grenada was not documented in the literature; therefore, the purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a culturally relevant curriculum in an effort to educate Grenadian LHAs on CC. Using convenience sampling, 8 Grenadian women were recruited from the parishes with the highest rates of CC. They participated in Woman to Woman (W2W), a 2-day CC, and human papilloma virus (HPV) prevention education program facilitated by local content experts. W2W was adapted from an evidence-based curriculum and tailored for the Grenadian context. Training consisted of modules on CC and HPV. Knowledge of LHAs was measured pre- and post-intervention. Summative evaluation was assessed using a focus group discussion. There was a significant increase in CC knowledge among LHA post-training (p

As cancer increases as a global health challenge, the use of available technological platforms for communication is required. To develop a collaborative program of cancer prevention research between the U.S. and the Caribbean, we relied on several mobile phone and Internet-based communication platforms. In 2016-2017, a two-phase advocacy-engaged research study was initiated to determine 1) women’s perceptions of breast and cervical cancer screening and 2) gatekeepers’ perceptions of the quality and availability of breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment services in the four countries of the English-speaking Windward Islands. Our results revealed that mobile communication and Internet-platform technologies successfully trained Caribbean community researchers on qualitative data collection and analysis methods as well as dissemination strategies. In particular, mobile platforms including GoToTraining, WhatsApp, YouTube, Dedoose, Google Drive, and email were used to deliver interactive training modules to community researchers in the Caribbean. The Internet-based technology enhanced training, communication, and social interactions. Additionally, it facilitated the collaborative development of recruitment materials and data collection instruments, data management, reports, manuscripts, and results dissemination. Community and academic researchers agreed that use of technology fostered a cost-effective and efficient collaborative process. The availability and use of communication technology are especially critical for researchers addressing the raising global cancer burden, particularly in resource-poor countries. Advocacy-engaged, technology-facilitated cancer research has the potential to cultivate and sustain community capacity and infrastructure for international research partnerships by building bridges via the use of mobile and Internet-based technology. Citation Format: Kamilah B. Thomas-Purcell, Marva Primus-Joseph, Christine Richards, Ann Marie McBurnie James, Julie Blaze, Lydia Atkins, Patsy Wiley, Kimlin Tam Ashing. Using Internet-platform technology to train community-based researchers in developing countries: Lessons Learned from a Caribbean study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Modernizing Population Sciences in the Digital Age; 2019 Feb 19-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A23.

Although extensive screening services for breast and cervical cancers are available in the Caribbean, these cancers continue to be the leading causes of cancer death among women in this region. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality and availability of breast and cervical cancer treatment care and support services from the perspective of the gatekeepers who provide care for the patients in the Windward Islands of Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, and St. Vincent. A qualitative research design using semi-structured, in-depth interviews was used to gather data from gatekeepers who provided oncology prevention and care services to patients for at least one year. Data were collected on availability and quality of cancer care and treatment services and coded using the themes obtained via thematic analysis of the data. Twenty-three current providers participated in the study (Dominica, 5; Grenada, 7; St. Lucia, 5; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 6). The participants' years of work experience ranged from 2 to 45 years. The codes encompassed a range of social ecological factors that influence breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment in the Windward Islands. The emergent themes were availability of resources, cost of care, and social support. The findings of this study emphasize the varying social determinants of health that affect breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment. It also highlights the disparities in availability of treatment within the wider Caribbean. It is necessary to broaden the perspective on health from a purely biomedical paradigm to a social perspective.