Cancer is common in developed countries and is the major cause of deaths in the United States compared to developing countries. The most attributable cause of cancer in the United States is industrialization and consumption of industrial outputs such as processed foods, increased smoking, dietary patterns, and physical inactivity.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2010 about 171,000 cancer deaths in the United States are expected to be caused by tobacco use and about one-third of the 569,490 cancer deaths expected to be related to obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.
Challenging cancer disparities among the us population
The ACS’ 2015 goal is to completely eliminate cancer disparities among different segments of the US population such as socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, residence, sex, and sexual orientation.[1] The reasons of health disparities within these segments likely arise from inequities in work, income, education, and overall standard of living. Also, social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection, and cancer treatment lead to increased incidence of cancer.
Socioeconomic Status
Persons with lower SES have disproportionately higher cancer death rates as compared to those with higher SES.[2] Persons with lower SES are more likely to engage in behaviors that increase cancer risk such as tobacco use, physical activity, and poor diet. Lower SES is also found to be associated with financial and personal barriers to health care, including lack of health insurance, reduced access to cancer prevention and treatment, and lower literacy rates.
Race and Ethnicity
Disparities in the cancer burden among racial and ethnic minorities, with poverty as the overriding factor, are obstacles to receiving health care services related to cancer prevention and treatment. The 2008 US Census Bureau report shows that 1 in 4 African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos lived below the poverty line, compared to 1 in 10 non-Hispanic whites.[3] Genetic factors also play a major role in the increased risk of prostate cancer among African American men and the breast cancer in African American women.
Physical Activity and Nutrition
Poor nutrition and physical activity habits, including overweight and obesity are the major cause of one-third of more than 500,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States each year. An eye-opening statistics show that on average, Americans eat 3.88 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and 24% Americans have 5 or more servings. The data shows that only 36% Americans eat fewer than 3 servings on daily basis.[4] Research study performed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that inactive people had higher annual direct medical costs compared to active people.
Tobacco Use
There are substantial health-related economic costs to society due to number of people who die prematurely or suffer illness from tobacco use. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States, and an estimated 8.6 million people suffer from chronic conditions—such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and cardiovascular diseases—related to smoking.[5] Approximately 38,000 deaths each year are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke in the United States.[6]
Global fight against cancer
Cancer is a global health issue and accounts for one in every eight deaths worldwide. Globally, cancer cure organizations and campaigns should promote awareness about the growing global cancer burden and cancer and tobacco control programs. The US government should act constantly to conquer cancer for health care of all the Americans, increase funds for cancer research and programs, and implement laws to reduce tobacco use.
References:
1. Byers T, Mouchawar J, Marks J, Cady B, Lins N, Swanson GM, Bal DG, Eyre H. The American Cancer Society challenge goals. How far can cancer rates decline in the U.S. by the year 2015? Cancer. 1999 Aug 15;86(4):715-27.
2. Allison Gandey. Poverty Boosts Mortality Risk After Cancer Diagnosis, Study Shows. Cancer. Published online before print June 23, 2008.
3. US Department of Commerce, Census Bureau (2008). National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Co-sponsored Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (2006-07): Available at http://riskfactor.cancer.gov/studies/tus-cps/results/data0607/table2.html, Accessed January 21, 2010.
4. Data Source: 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), CDC.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette Smoking-Attributable Morbidity – United States, 2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2003;52(35);842-844.
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—About our writer:
Meenal Ashta has amasters degree in Physics and an M.Sc. in Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management. She works as a medical writer/editor with a multinational company and has an experience of 8 years in the medical publishing domain. She has worked on medical writing and medical editing projects for publishers, including Elsevier, Oxford, Pearson, Taylor-Francis, and iUniverse. She also occasionally creates indexes for medical books. She is currently based in New Delhi.
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