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Cynthia Newbille, Richmond city council representative for the 7th district, visited VCU Massey Cancer Center on March 21 to discuss the institution’s increased outreach to the East End neighborhoods she serves.

During Newbille’s time at Massey, director Robert A. Winn, M.D., presented his idea to create a formal pathway from neighboring Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School to Massey’s research labs for educational opportunities.

“We want to demonstrate science to those kids. Their parents, too,” said Winn, the Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey and the senior associate dean for cancer innovation and professor of pulmonary disease and critical care medicine in the VCU School of Medicine (SOM). “They are in our backyard, and this partnership does not just have to be a dream. I hear from you, [Councilwoman Newbille], that we can work together to move it forward.”

Kandace McGuire, M.D., FACS, chief of breast surgery, surgical leader of the breast health team and member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at Massey, said she additionally welcomes the creation of female-focused programs because of underrepresentation in surgery. As the current president-elect of the Association of Women Surgeons, McGuire works to raise awareness about the need for more diversity in the field.

“Anything we can do to get more women in the pipeline will help with representation,” stated McGuire, who is also a professor of surgery at SOM. “We need to get girls and women involved in surgery before someone tells them they can’t do it. And we need to reach our community, this community. There are so few women in surgery, and there are especially so few African American and Hispanic women.”

In addition to education, the discussion with Newbille included challenges faced by individuals living in her district, like income and housing. She made a connection between the social determinants of health and the higher breast cancer mortality among Black women despite having a 4% lower incidence than white women.

“This is how community asset mapping would benefit your district,” Winn responded. “Massey can work with people in the neighborhood to get guidance on what resources are available. This type of work already allowed us to identify structures in public housing that impact education and access. Now we can come up with something that is a guide. That’s what I want to do here.”

Added Newbille, “I'm just absolutely committed and willing to work collaboratively in this effort. I know it makes a difference. It's critical to be in the place and the space to remove and reduce the barriers to information, education, screening and other resources that are available.”

Newbille, who hosted Winn for a District Walk with her constituents in 2021, applauded Massey’s efforts to meet community members where they live.

“It is critical when you consider increasing access to information,” commented Newbille. “And I dare to say, it has not been as emphasized before. There have been sporadic attempts, but not like what Massey is doing. That is, a comprehensive, coordinated strategy addressing cancer, going into the community, working directly with not only elected leaders but also community residents and other stakeholders to share information so people can live long, healthy lives. That's a game changer.”

During a presentation by Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., M.S., director for catchment area data access and alignment at Massey, Newbille learned that Richmond’s 7th district has a 30% higher incidence of prostate cancer than the rest of Virginia; the rate of lung cancer is 34% higher; and it is 52% higher for colorectal cancer.

Tossas, who is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Massey, said her commitment to eliminating disparities comes from parallels she identified between her upbringing and many of the communities Massey serves.

“I come from those communities,” said Tossas. “Communities like what I see in Virginia, which is home to seven of the 10 counties with the highest cancer incidence and three of the 10 counties with the highest cancer mortality in the nation. I often say that health equity isn’t what I do; it’s who I am.”

Said Sebti, Ph.D., associate director for basic research and the Lacy Family Chair in Cancer Research at Massey and a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the SOM, told Newbille that, working with Dr. Winn, has deepened his understanding about how involving the community has a significant impact on Massey’s basic, population and clinical research, effectively addressing the needs of the individuals served and ultimately improving outcomes for cancer patients.  

Sebti made a presentation on Massey’s Molecules to Medicine (M2M) program, which aims to contribute to the cure of cancer by creating smart anti-cancer molecules that kill tumors but not normal cells. It promotes multi-disciplinary collaborative efforts between chemists, biologists and clinicians to discover new drugs, antibodies, vaccines and other therapies to test in the laboratory and in patients.

“At Massey, we are inspired and collaborate with the community to do research that is relevant to the people we serve”, said Sebti.

Newbille said she will continue to work with Massey to create pathways between the cancer center and her East End district, which includes the neighborhoods of Church Hill, Union Hill, Fulton, Fulton Hill, Montrose Heights, Fairfield Court, Creighton Court, Whitcomb Court, Mosby Court, Eastview, Brauers, Peter Paul, Woodville, Church Hill North, Chimborazo and Oakwood in the city of Richmond.

“We still have too many dying too early, too often from preventable and treatable cancers,” said Newbille. “But in 2023, we can do something about it. Massey’s efforts and resources will be the pivot that begins to turn those numbers around in our community.”

Also taking part in the discussion with Newbille were Paula M. Fracasso, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, deputy director of Massey and senior vice president of the cancer service line at VCU Health; Karah Gunther, J.D., M.H.A., vice president for External Affairs and Health Policy at VCU and VCU Health; and Verenda Cobbs, senior manager for Civic Innovation and Transformation at VCU.

Written by: Amy Lacey