Cancer is one of the 9 National Health Priority Areas (NHPA), areas which account for a significant portion of the burden of disease, but have sizeable potential for improvement. In Australia, CRC is the second most common cancer, after prostate (in men) and breast cancer (in women) (AIHW, Cancer incidence projections). The incidence has gradually increased (by 13% in males from 1982-2007) (AIHW, Cancer in Australia an overview). This is compounded by the ageing population and population growth, with 14,860 new cases in 2010 (http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer). This graph demonstrates this upward trend ((AIHW, Cancer incidence projections):
(AIHW, Cancer incidence projections)
Note that the introduction of screening may produce short-term rises (AIHW, Cancer incidence projections) due to greater detection.
Thus, the high incidence rate is of great public health importance, as it puts increasing strain on the health system and wider sectors, and generates considerable morbidity.
Additionally, CRC has a substantial impact in terms of mortality even though death rates are decreasing with better treatment and screening. 3999 deaths were directly attributable to CRC in 2011, and only lung cancer has higher mortality for cancers (http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer).
Disease burden is measured in Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs), the number of years lost due to premature death or disability. Thus, this consists of Years of Life Lost (YLLs) and Years of Healthy Life Lost (YLDs) (AIHW, Cancer in Australia an overview). YLD for cancers can include adverse effects of treatment including chemotherapy, and further psychosocial effects. CRC has both a high YLL and high ...
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...s and carers) will share in the cost of pain and suffering, treatment and other out-of-pocket expenses, lost income and funeral costs. Employers may be confronted with absenteeism, productivity loss, idle assets or potential rehiring and retraining of replacements (Cancer Council, Cost of Cancer in NSW). This has flow-on effects to end consumers who must pay more for goods and services to cover this cost. Similarly, the government loses taxation revenue from lost income, and must provide services such as welfare, respite/palliative care and education (Cancer Council, Cost of Cancer in NSW). Finally, the rest of society such as non-government organisations and charities pick up the cost of community programs and education(Cancer Council, Cost of Cancer in NSW). This indicates that CRC ultimately has a pervasive scope, affecting all strata of society and its members.
It needs to be understood that it is as natural as cancer or AIDS, but can be worse and a living hell for those who are the victims of this illness, and not treated in time. When we can give all the care and attention to other medical problems, and can go campaigning for them; then its time to look at this aspect of illness with same enthusiasm. We cannot afford to neglect this illness. We need more voluntary involvement, and have a better infrastructure developed to build a better future for every person who is suffering, and who is prone to suffer with the current mode of life of high stress and competitions.
Hence, the citizens must pay a large amount of money to get treatment, and this also makes it difficult for them to find specialists
Skin cancer is a significant public health issue in Australia. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun in the UVA and UVB wavelengths is the primary cause. Australia has been a world leader in efforts to protect the ozone layer, the main line of defense against ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. Ultraviolet radiation induces the formation of thymine dimers that cause mutation of skin cells if not repaired before DNA replication. Mutations of tumor suppressor genes can lead to uncontrolled cell growth. Ultraviolet radiation also causes immunosuppresion that allows skin cancers to become established. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are types of skin cancer caused by sun exposure, though each form is associated with a different pattern of exposure. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, due to a combination of tropical latitude, fair-skinned population, outdoor lifestyle, and high amount of ambient ultraviolet radiation. Widespread opinions about tanning and health benefits of sunlight lead many Australians to intentionally overexpose themselves to the sun. State cancer councils have developed sun safety and awareness campaigns, such as “Slip! Slop! Slap!” and “SunSmart,” to educate the population about sun exposure and encourage early detection of skin cancers. Gradual changes in knowledge and behavior indicate that the fight against skin cancer can be won.
Colorectal cancer, or CRC, affects African American men and women more than Caucasians, at a rate 20% higher. This is concerning when faced with the mortality rates among African Americans, 28% higher for women and 14% higher for men than for Whites. African Americans are also more likely to be in later stages of the disease when diagnosed. There is a need to study and evaluate why these factors exist, as proper screening and early diagnosis can severely impact survival rates for CRC. One study attempts to find the solution through testing, however, this study slightly discredits itself along the way.
...0’s cancer mortality rates have dramatically decreased from 10% to over 80% for leukemia. Overall decline in mortality for cancer was nearly 54% from 1978 to 2008 (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Decrease in mortality rates are due to improvements in cancer treatments. Recent advances in treatments are due to aggressive cancer therapies and collaboration of findings from clinical trials. More than 80 percent of patients are expected to be long term cancer survivors (National Cancer Institute, 2011).
According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer health disparities are defined as the adverse differences between specific populations and the achievement of an optimal state of health. These population groups are categorized by geographic location, income, disability, age, education, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or race. These factors correlate with cancer mortality rates that impact specific population groups in the United States, cancer prevalence is the number of people diagnosed or living with cancer, and cancer incidence which is the number of new cancer cases in a population. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2013, there were an estimated 1,660,290 new cases of cancer and 580,350 of the new cases resulted in mortality. Individuals who have limited access to healthcare, health illiterate, and poverty stricken are more likely to develop cancer. This means a person’s socioeconomic status can determine the likelihood of their probability of developing cancer
Colon cancer develops in the part of the gastrointestinal tract that absorbs water and minerals before waste products are disposed via the rectum. In women endometrial cancer is related to colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Over one-hundred fifty thousand individuals will be diagnosed this year and this cancer will probably be responsible for about 47,900 deaths in 1999 (http://www.cancer.org). Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from the glandular cells. Ninety percent of all colon cancer cases will develop in individuals after 50 years of age. Ninety percent of all tumors arise from polyps that are commonly found in people older than 50. Prevention includes regular exercise and a diet high in fiber. The most important risk factor is age. Medical screening includes a yearly blood occult test after age 50 and a colonoscopy every 3 years after age 50. Regular screening detects polyps that have become precancerous. If regular screening is not done, the cancer is not detected until blood is found in the...
...reasing the 5-years survival and increasing the death worldwide due to cancer; but can be explained by increased life anticipation, since cancer incidence increases with age, and to remarkably increasing in lung cancer incidence rates References BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing Fact Sheet.... (2014). Retrieved on April 18, 2014, from Gene mutations that can lead to cancer (Society, 2014).
For years people have tried to figure out one big question. What is the real cause of cancer? After much research, the statistics say that cancer is a disease of the modern world (Stevenson 1). A few main factors that cause cancer are the use of tobacco, industrial agents, and a person’s weight and diet. (Landau 2-4). The modern environment and everyday lifestyle of people contain factors that cause cancer.
The lessons here are clear and evident: it is possible to offer patient-centered and cost- effective care to patients and their families that is clinically appropriate and ethically responsible. Given the prevalence of cancer, applying some of the same thinking to integrate psychosocial interventions in cancer support settings may yield positive results for patients, their families and the healthcare system. Strategies can include more emphasis on education and program planning, changing reimbursement and funding strategies, and adding more specificity in standards for accreditation for cancer centers. If we do not, we will continue to face the ethical implications of the culture of exclusivity in cancer supportive care.
The East Pennsboro elementary school raised money for a statue at a local park. The statue was a ring of children that were holding hands. There was one child missing; the link was broken. The statue was dedicated to East Pennsboro students that did not make it to their graduation. My sophomore year of high school inspired this piece of artwork.
Trevena L. (2009) Cancer screening Reprinted from Australian Family Physician: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales. Vol. 38, No. 4
Discussions throughout this essay will focus on the relevance of epidemiology to public health; firstly the concepts of epidemiology will be discussed alongside two examples of why epidemiology is relevant in the 21st century.
...tly should attend to the most urgent and highest needful problems to reduce the risk of developing those issues. Health priorities include reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), decrease the road traffic accidents rate, reduce the infectious disease and vaccine preventable diseases, prevent transmit of HIV infections and reduce the poverty by minimizing gap between rich and poor. In addition, this health problems should be addressed in accordance to WHO guidelines, Millenniums development goals and according to other international health reporting standards. Moreover understanding the burden of disease is important where it helps to measure weightage of disease in a specific nation with that of the global situation. So supportively this will help to prioritize the urgent health problems in the country which will support the prevention of those health issues.