The Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center is committed to serving the residents within our catchment area. Catchment area (CA) is a term from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that we use to describe the primary geographic area of our Cancer Center. The CA of the Comprehensive Cancer Center consists of a contiguous 58 county, a predominantly rural and Appalachian region in central and western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, and West Virginia. The CA was determined by evaluating where our patients come from.
The map (Figure 1) shows the entire catchment area and highlights that 59 % of our counties are classified as rural. While these counties face additional challenges to address cancer health disparities, the Comprehensive Cancer Center is dedicated to alleviating the burden of cancer, providing information on cancer prevention, and addressing their unique needs.
In addition to geographic considerations, there are cultural similarities in predominantly rural, small town and mountain communities in the foothills and Appalachian Mountains, tying these communities together.
The map (Figure 1) shows the entire catchment area and highlights that 59 % of our counties are classified as rural. While these counties face additional challenges to address cancer health disparities, the Comprehensive Cancer Center is dedicated to alleviating the burden of cancer, providing information on cancer prevention, and addressing their unique needs.
In addition to geographic considerations, there are cultural similarities in predominantly rural, small town and mountain communities in the foothills and Appalachian Mountains, tying these communities together.