Oregon is rolling out a sweeping, data-heavy effort to cut cancer’s toll in the state, centered on a new 2025 Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan developed by OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute and the Oregon Health Authority. The roadmap zeroes in on liver, breast, colorectal and lung cancers and puts a big emphasis on raising HPV vaccination rates statewide. State officials say task forces will convene this year to turn the plan’s recommendations into concrete targets and community-level action.
“The plan puts a spotlight on areas of cancer care and prevention efforts that need the most attention,” said Jackie Shannon, associate director for community outreach and engagement at OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute, in the university’s announcement. As reported by OHSU, the institute has adopted those priorities to guide research and outreach across Oregon.
The 104-page report lays out Oregon’s cancer burden: cancer has been the state’s leading cause of death since 2003, and roughly 22,000 Oregonians are diagnosed each year. It directs the Oregon Health Authority to form task forces in 2026 to craft strategies and measurable objectives for each focus area and to support community-driven, equity-focused interventions. According to the Oregon Health Authority, the plan was developed with CDC support and input from an 11-member steering committee. In other words, this is not designed to be a policy document that quietly disappears into a filing cabinet.
Why Liver Is a Top Concern
Liver cancer is one of the biggest red flags in the plan. Incidence rates in Oregon have nearly tripled over the last 30 years, and liver mortality has increased faster than for any other cancer site in the state. The plan calls out chronic hepatitis infections and excessive alcohol use as leading contributors and, as reported by OHSU, urges expanded prevention, screening and treatment options.
Rural Hot Spots and Prevention Gaps
The report points out that many of the counties with the highest cancer incidence are rural or frontier, and four of the top five counties by incidence are Hood River, Lake, Wheeler and Wallowa. Rural residents also face higher cancer mortality overall. The plan flags plateauing HPV vaccination rates and recommends targeted outreach, school-based vaccine programs and training for traditional health workers to close prevention gaps. The Oregon Health Authority frames the plan as a tool for local coalitions, health systems and community partners.
What Comes Next for Local Communities
OHA and the Knight say they will recruit partners for the task forces and expect the work to be community led, with regional outreach coordinated by the Knight’s community cancer control specialists. For organizations and individuals interested in task-force work, the plan lists [email protected] as the contact. The rollout also coincides with OHSU’s new Vista Pavilion, which opened in April and adds dedicated inpatient and advanced-care capacity for cancer patients, bringing fresh clinical resources that could help put the plan’s prevention and treatment goals into practice, according to the OHSU Foundation.
