LOS ANGELES, CA – August 23, 2021 – Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announces accounting firm CohnReznick as the first corporate partner to invest in a critical American Cancer Society led research project that examines housing discriminations’ impact on cancer care. This $100,000 investment will support the American Cancer Society’s new Systemic and Biologic Impact of Housing Discrimination on Cancer Risk project.
“CohnReznick is proud to join the American Cancer Society in this project and will also engage with the affordable housing development community to drive collaboration and support,” said John Alfonso, CPA, CGMA, Partner and leader of CohnReznick’s Not-for-Profit and Education Industry Practice. “As chair of the ACS Board of Directors, I know firsthand how important it is to ensure progress is made in decreasing cancer disparities in Black and Latino communities and addressing structural racism’s devastating health effects on these communities is as important as ever.”
Expected to launch in early 2022, this four-year research project will be led by Alpa Patel, PhD, Senior Vice President-Population Science at ACS, and study how various aspects of neighborhood environments (walkability, availability of fresh fruits/vegetables, air pollution, etc.) drive expected associations between housing discrimination and cancer.
“Individual and systemic racism, including residential segregation and housing discrimination, significantly contributes to health disparities by creating conditions that unfairly disadvantage populations of color,” Patel said. “We anticipate that our findings will offer new insight into how racism contributes to cancer disparities and help inform new and lasting strategies to reduce its impact on cancer risk and survival, while increasing our understanding about how to improve access to quality care.”
The Systemic and Biologic Impact of Housing Discrimination on Cancer Risk will use data and blood samples from a diverse study population of approximately 300,000 participants across the country to assess whether living in areas affected by housing discrimination is associated with a higher risk of cancer and whether factors like cancer screening frequency, aspects of lifestyle related to physical activity, dietary behaviors, smoking, and alcohol consumption, as well as area-level factors such as the availability of green space and access to healthy food options explain these disparities. Using entirely new and groundbreaking science, this 4-year study will also seek to prove that individuals who live in these areas have cancer-related biologic changes to the DNA as a result of where they live.
“CohnReznick has a long-standing commitment to our communities and to the ground-breaking work our clients do in affordable housing, clean energy, healthcare, government services, and so much more,” said David Kessler, CohnReznick Chief Executive Officer. “When John Alfonso brought this health equity study to my attention, and to the attention of our partners, we asked how we could help move it forward.” Kessler adds, “Access to quality housing and quality healthcare are fundamental rights for everyone in our society. We are honored to be the first corporate sponsor for this critical study exploring the role housing plays in cancer risks.”
Additional opportunities for individuals and corporations to fund this ongoing, critical research are available. Contact the American Cancer Society at 800.227.2345 for details.
