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Experts are asking members of the public to volunteer time and ideas to fight cancer, expected to kill more than 570,000 Americans — including nearly 10,000 Arizonans — this year.

A new statewide cancer control plan aims to stage a more aggressive war on cancer on four fronts: better educating individuals about their cancer risk; increasing the number of Arizonans who are screened for breast, colon and other cancers; getting the best treatment available to all patients; and improving quality of life for those who survive a cancer diagnosis.

But to do that, a coalition of cancer doctors, researchers and other professionals is asking anyone with an interest in cancer to join in the fight.

"We definitely want people to work with us on this," Patricia Harmon, CEO of Sunstone Cancer Support Centers, said after Monday's presentation of the statewide cancer plan at the Arizona Cancer Center. Harmon also co-chairs the Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition's committee charged with improving quality of life for cancer survivors. The organization seeks input from people who have lived with a cancer diagnosis, and their loved ones.

"There isn't anybody whose life hasn't been touched by cancer — either they've been diagnosed or someone close to them has," said Dr. Peter Lance, the Arizona Cancer Center's co-director of cancer prevention and control.

"Those are the people who can help us make sure we do absolutely the very best we can with preventing and treating cancer."

The Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition comprises more than 50 statewide organizations, including the Arizona division of the American Cancer Society, the Arizona Cancer Center and the state Department of Health Services.

The coalition began working on a comprehensive cancer plan four years ago. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked each state to develop a strategy for reducing cancer cases and deaths.

The group's goals for Arizonans are familiar-sounding: Quit smoking, exercise more and eat less.

But the coalition gave particular attention to reducing "health disparities" between white Arizonans and their minority counterparts.

"The issue of disparity is very tied to lack of insurance, lack of regular primary health care, lower education levels," said Maria Elena Martinez, also co-director of the cancer center's prevention and control programs.

"Hispanics and Native Americans tend to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, so they're diagnosed with more aggressive disease," she said.

Doctors must do a better job of urging their patients to get mammograms, colonoscopies and other cancer-detection tests, Martinez said.

Patricia Settle, 54, of Tucson needs no urging from anyone. She faces a higher than usual risk of getting breast cancer because her mother had it and because she has dense breast tissue that makes it difficult to detect potential tumors on mammograms.

A year ago, Settle contacted doctors at the Arizona Cancer Center's High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic. To her healthy diet and regular exercise regime they have added more frequent mammograms, alternating with MRI views that can detect tissue abnormalities that regular mammograms may miss.

"I used to worry more than I do now. I feel I'm working really collaboratively with the physicians to monitor my situation, and if something arises, I'll be on top of it," Settle said Monday. "So I feel I'm not alone. I feel there are people working together with me."