American Society for Clinical Oncology - Research Paper Example

American Society for Clinical Oncology Cancer has been a prevalent condition not only in the USA but also in other parts of the globe. It has raised much concern among patients and also concern from health care providers like nurses, doctors and health researchers in terms of how to provide care and medical attention to people who have cancer. This is a very complicated condition starting from its detection to cure and medication and these complications in this condition have resulted in so many deaths all over the world. These complications were brought about by misinformation, misdiagnosis and even the fact that it was never detected until it was too late. This is why there are many organizations, aside from hospitals and medical centers disseminating information on how to detect the disease. This paper discusses how America has been dealing with the disease in terms of medical care and health care, medical research and the funding of these researches and how volunteer organizations have been promoting cancer awareness as well as how organizations have cared for and continue to care for those who are affected with this condition. It is admitted that not all Americans can afford to care for themselves especially when they are afflicted with the disease. By way of introduction, the basics of cancer such as brief information about the disease, cancer rates and statistics and how this has affected males, females, young, old, white, black or otherwise are discussed. It also shows figures and tables where necessary. In order to complete the paper, information were gathered from newspapers, journals, and websites of organizations dealing with cancer. Cancer in America and other parts of the globe The American Cancer Society (ACS) (2010) has issued an information dissemination book available online and it shows the various statistics revolving around the disease. The following table shows the top 5 leading sites of new cancer cases as of 2009 for males. This is taken from the American Cancer Society. Sites Males N % Prostate 192,280 25 Lung and Bronchus 116,090 15 Colon and Rectum 75,590 10 Urinary Bladder 54,810 7 Melanoma of the skin 39,080 5 The following table, still from ACS also shows the top 5 leading cancer sites for women. Sites Females N % Breast 192,370 27 Lung and Bronchus 103,350 14 Colon and Rectum 71,380 10 Uterine Corpus 42,160 6 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 29,990 4 The leading cancer site for males is the prostate while for the women, the leading cancer site is the breast. This is in America alone. All over the world, as of 2007, there is an estimated new cancer cases and the estimated figure is 12,332,300. The region with the highest incidence of new cancer cases is in Eastern Asia with 3,313,600. This is probably due to misdiagnosis or misdetection or no detection at all. Eastern Asia is mostly Asia, so this can also be due to the land and its people who are more into herbal medicines rather than the more scientific health care like doctors and hospitals. Still on worldwide statistics reported by the American Cancer Society (Garcia et al., 2007), the second top cause of death is cancer. The developed countries somehow reflect the worldwide status since cancer is also the second top cause of death. In developing countries however, this is the third top cause of death. Another important thing to note also from this report of the ACS is that breast cancer is also the leading cancer site for females world wide. Lung and bronchus on the other hand is also the leading cancer site for males. Another alarming data presented is the estimated number of Americans who can die of cancer by 2009 and this figure is 562,340 Americans. However, this alarming figure is somehow mitigated by another report issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (American Cancer Society, 2009) that the number of Americans afflicted with cancer is declining likewise with the number of deaths associated with or caused by cancer. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the United States Cancer Statistics is as of 2006 only. The following table shows the data comparisons on the cancer death rates on the US as a whole and the state of Georgia in particular on the top 5 cancer sites for males. These are age adjusted according to the 2000 census and rates are per 100,000 persons (US Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2010). Sites Males US Rate Georgia Rate Prostate 167.9 152.6 Lung and Bronchus 96.4 82.7 Colon and Rectum 55.2 54.1 Urinary Bladder 31.0 36.1 Melanomas of the skin 25.9 22.9 Except for cancer on urinary bladder, the Georgia rates on the top 5 cancer sites are lower than that of the US. For males, the top cancer site for both US and Georgia is still in the prostate. The following table shows the data comparison on the top 5 cancer sites for females still comparing the rates for US and the state of Georgia. Sites Females US Rate Georgia Rate Breast 114.9 119.3 Lung and Bronchus 52.8 55.0 Colon and Rectum 40.6 41.1 Corpus and Uterus, NOS 17.8 23.7 Melanomas of the skin 15.8 15.0 (US Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2010) Unlike the cancer death rates for males, the rates in Georgia are higher than that of the US rate except for melanomas of the skin. The state of Georgia should look more into the welfare of their women especially in terms of this condition. Another data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the ranking of all the states in terms of death caused by cancer (all cancer sites combined). The overall cancer death rate for the US is 538.8 while the top state is Delaware with 632.6 deaths per 100,000 persons. Georgia on the other hand is ranked 21st among all the states with a rate of 555.2 deaths per 100,000 persons. Similarly, Delaware still has the highest death rate caused by or associated with prostate cancer (200.4 per 100,000 persons) while Georgia ranks 12th with 167.9 (per 100,000 persons). For females, Vermont has the largest incidence of cancer death rate at 484.6 per 100,000 persons. Georgia on the other hand has a rate of 381.5 deaths per 100,000 persons on all cancer sites combined. Specific to breast cancer, the overall US death rate caused by or associated with cancer is 119.3 (per 100,000 persons). Vermont still has the highest with 135.7 while Georgia is ranked 36th with 114.9 deaths per 100,000 persons. It is good to note that Georgia does not top the list and that the rate is lower than that of the US. However, there is still a need to continue bringing down the rates. It is a known fact that most of the deaths are caused by late detection of cancer that is why the government, all other agencies geared toward health care and even individual citizens should be vigilant in combating this disease and all other diseases included. Another data from the American Cancer Society (2010a) shows the incidence of breast cancer among women grouped according to ethnicity. The data is presented in the table below. Incidence Death White 123.5 23.9 African American 113.0 33.0 Asian American/Pacific Islander 81.6 12.5 90.2 90.2 15.5 American Indian/Alaska Native 91.7 14.3 It can be seen that the greatest incidence of breast cancer is among whites. It is also good to note that even when the incidence is high, the death rate is also low. The data is from 2002-2006 and is age adjusted according to the 2000 US standard population. Another evidence of the decline in the incidence of cancer is the data from the American Cancer Society as seen in the figure below. The same condition is true with the females although the cancer sites are different. This shows that the cure and alleviation of the condition is worth commending. This may be due to the state of the art facilities in hospitals, or empowered individuals, and many more. This shows that the government and other organizations have been working hand in hand with each other to combat this condition that has claimed many lives. Right now, even when there is a high incidence, especially for breast cancer, the death rate has significantly been lowered. Specific to breast cancer, data from CDC in 2009 the incidence in breast cancer grouped according to age and ethnicity show that there is higher mortality among older African Americans afflicted with breast cancer. Incidence of breast cancer however declines with age for both whites and African Americans. Data was taken from the Breast Cancer Facts and Figures 2009-2010 from the American Cancer Society. Organizations helping combat cancer Like any kind or form of disease or health condition, cancer can be cured. Due to this, there are so many organizations disseminating information about cancer especially on how to detect cancer and to whom the patient would go for consultation. Hospitals also have cancer awareness programs to help patients as well as family members on dealing with this. An example is the Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut (2010) as they have breast cancer support groups, counseling and the like. The descriptions of the said programs are available via their website in this URL http://www.greenhosp.org/programs_oncology.asp Their support groups vary depending on the need of the individual. They have support group for those recently diagnosed with breast cancer, for couples and families who are living with a person with metastatic cancer, for those who are in post-treatment and for those who need counseling. Other services include free mammogram and clinical breast exam, pre-mastectomy class (to prepare them for the condition and situation), consultations and more. A quick sweep of Internet websites show different organizations dealing with the cure or alleviation of cancer. All of them offer various programs like support for those afflicted with cancer, those who have had surgery and are recovering from cancer as well as those who are undergoing therapies. Family members or those who are caring for family members who are afflicted with cancer or recovering from cancer also have support groups from organizations. Online information are also available not only from the government sector but also from private organizations and foundations dealing with cancer. Information available range from basic information about cancer, specific information about specific sites afflicted with cancer, and lists of organizations that can be contacted from which help can be sought. Other active individuals who are combating cancer include Oprah who has been very influential in her talk show. She has had several programs showcasing cancer survivors along with a discussion on how to detect signs of cancer. An example of one visitor is Robert Ebert who is a cancer survivor. Various talk shows also feature cancer survivors and most recently Farah Fawcett has documented her fight with cancer. It is important to disseminate information on the different cancer situations in order for individuals to readily determine if they are already afflicted with the disease. Cancer after all is unlike cough and cold which are very evident. At least if individuals are empowered, they would know what to do and when to seek professional help and submit themselves for treatment. There are also blog spots that discuss cancer. Although these should not be construed as medical advises themselves, they are there to serve as guide and relay experiences of people. One site is http://www.thecancerblog.com and it is very informative and contains exchanges from people with cancer, recovering cancer and have survived cancer. They serve as support group to each other in the online world. Maps The American Cancer Society has sites located all over the different states of America aside from their online website and these sites help individuals who have cancer. The help they offer vary from providing basic information about cancer, helping individuals through their website and also through volunteers alleviate their “cancer experience.” The following is a map of ACS sites in the state of Georgia. This is taken from Google Maps. Individuals can go to these sites either to seek help or become volunteer workers in the fight against cancer. Another organization that is visible online is the American Society for Clinical Oncology. They also have information relating to all types of cancer. They also have a Cancer Foundation where they help in “improving the treatment and survivorship of people living with cancer” (2008, para 1). They also fund research, educate individuals like cancer victims and health care providers so that the disease can be addressed properly. If this is the case, then it is hoped that there will be lesser incidence of cancer and deaths associated with cancer. Another map presented here is the different cancer specialists located in Georgia. This map again is also taken from Google Maps such that the list of locations indicated in the map may not be exhaustive. All the identified points are cancer specialists in Georgia specific to areas near Alabama. This shows that there are available clinics or centers in Georgia where individuals can seek help. Funding and Research Endeavors in Cancer Given the fact that cancer has claimed so many lives in the past and that the cause of death is late detection and improper diagnosis, governments and organizations have continuously done research on the different cancer conditions. Numerous drugs have been invented and tested. Numerous surgical procedures have been experimented to determine whether these can indeed cure cancer. Avon is also very active in the fight against cancer specifically breast cancer. This is evident in their Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade (Avon Company, 2009) where they have raised about $640 million from 50 countries all over the world. This fund is dedicated for the following activities: Awareness campaigns Education Screening and diagnosis Access to treatment Support services Scientific research Wang (2009) reports that a new drug which is known as bisphosphonates was found out to “significantly reduce women’s risk of breast cancer” (para 1) San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. However, due to certain processes not done in the study like randomly controlling the test subjects, this drug is not definitively a cure for breast cancer. There are many other research endeavors all over the US and all over the world that look into better ways of alleviating the conditions of those who have cancer and even to cure cancer. Respective countries even provide specific funding for this activity. In the US alone, a total of $5 billion is allotted as funding for the National Cancer Institute (Mundy, 2008). The different states have also been receiving funds for research on cancer (American Caner Society, 2010c). Unfortunately for Delaware, who have the highest incidence in cancer, they only have $300,000 grant for 2007-2008 with only 1 research. Georgia had about 3 researches and were granted $1,135,000. Since 1946, the American Cancer Society has funded researches to come up with cures and improve the processes of detecting cancer. In 2007 for example, the ACS Breast Cancer Advisory Group modified its screening for breast cancer such that annual MRI is already included for better detection. Conclusion The fact of the matter is cancer is prevalent, claims lives and could be a traitor killer. However, it is also a fact that more and more information is known on this disease. Individuals, organizations and governments have been working together to fight the disease and it has produced positive results from medical cures, improved surgical procedures and improved survival on cancer. The key of course is good information dissemination, cooperation and good funding. Victims and survivors no longer mope and seclude themselves when they are afflicted, they go out and share their experiences hoping that people won’t go through the same things that they have been through. America is a first world country and they should prove this to other countries by combating the disease. They have already done so, so far but still it is not enough. Other countries, be they first world or third world should also try their best to alleviate the disease. China has the highest incidence and death rates relating to cancer because of their tradition and beliefs perhaps, maybe it is high time to think about this and gear more toward saving lives and preserving it. Cancer is curable and people should not be afraid of it. References American Cancer Society. (2009) Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://www.cancer.org American Cancer Society (2010). Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2009-2010. Atlanta: American Cancer Society Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://www.cancer.org American Society for Clinical Oncology. (2008). Retrieved 15 April 2010 from http://www.ascocancerfoundation.org/ Avon Company. (2009). Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://www.avoncompany.com/women/avoncrusade/ Garcia M, Jemal A, Ward EM, Center MM, Hao Y, Siegel RL, Thun MJ. (2007). Global Cancer Facts & Figures 2007. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://www.cancer.org Mundy, A. (2008 Oct). U.S. News: Cancer-Research Advocates Jostle for Lawmakers’ Attention. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 April 2008 from ProQuest Databases. U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2006 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs. Wang, S. (2009 Dec 11). U.S. News: Drugs may curb breast cancer. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 April from ProQuest Databases. Read More