Lung Cancer in Australia - Essay Example

Lung Cancer in Australia affiliation Burden of lung cancer in Australia Cancer is currently the leading cause of the total burden of disease in the world and in Australia (Bech & Negrello, 2010). The various types of cancers are, therefore, on the top of the list of diseases that are proving to be a burden to the economy. Since 2010, lung cancer has been ranked the fifth among the types of cancers that are most diagnosed in the country. The others are prostate cancer, bowel, and breast and skin cancer. The information computed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2010, lung cancer accounts for over 8% of the new cancer cases in Australia. In 2010, 10, 296 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed. This is comparable to 11,270 new cases diagnosed in 2012 (Cancer Series Number, 2012). This indicates two main possibilities; it is likely that there are more people acquiring cancer of the lungs, or there is an improvement in the screening services seeking or both. Either of these possibilities displays a less than appealing projection of deaths and morbidity related to lung cancer. Statistics has shown that the risk of getting lung cancer is one in every sixteen persons aged below the age of 85 years. The projections also indicate that in 2014, 11,550 new cases of lung cancer is going to be diagnosed. The projections also indicate that this number will continue to increase and reach 13600 new diagnoses by 2020 (Cancer Series Number, 2012). Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. The mortality rate due to lung cancer in 2012 indicated that in 2012 alone, 8100 deaths related to complications of lung cancer were reported. The high death rates can be attributed to the late diagnosis of the condition with the mean age of diagnosis for lung cancer in Australia being 71.0 years for males and 69.9 years for female. This means that the disease is diagnosed in a late stage, and hence, therapy has little success. The survival rates for lung cancer are relatively poor. In the period between 2006 and 2010, the relative survival rate was recorded as 14.1%, being higher in women (16.5%) that in men (12.6%). This was an increase from the rate in a similar period 1982 to 1987 which was 8.7% (Walters et al., 2013). The economic burden of cancer is always ranked the highest in the country as it is globally. The condition is a terminal illness that requires comprehensive care that is costly and does not always lead to a cure. In 2012, the burden of lung cancer among the men was estimated to be 59,000 DALYs, which accounted for 18% of the total burden of cancer. The burden is slightly higher in men than in women. Risk of Lung Cancer To identify the portion of the general population at risk of developing lung cancer, it is important to first look at the risk factors of the disease itself. However, the presence of one or several risk factors is not an indication that the individual will develop the disease, rather it calls for caution to prevent the occurrence or to help in early detection (Goldstraw et al., 2011). The risk factors for lung cancer include smoking (active and passive), radon exposure asbestos and other metal dust exposure, age (older people are at a higher risk), familial history of lung cancer and presence of underlying or previous chronic lung disease (Ridge, McErlean, & Ginsberg, 2013). This, therefore, means that the population at risk involves the individuals who have been exposed to tobacco smoke, asbestos, radon and other metal dusts, those who are advanced in age a and having a familial history of the disease or an existing chronic lung disease. These individuals should be the main focus of lung cancer prevention campaign to encourage them seek screening services (Sun, Schiller, & Gazdar, 2007). Lung cancer detection and prevention strategies With enough knowledge on the population at risk, it is easier to execute strategies that are aimed at preventing lung cancer (Umar, Dunn, & Greenwald, 2012). One such a strategy is stoppage of smoking. Globally, smoking has been indicated through research to contribute to 85% of the lung cancer incidences. This means that if a person stops smoking, in the absence of other risk factors, there is a high possibility that lung cancer will be prevented. However, the presence of other risk factors such as familial disposition limits the effectiveness of smoking control. There are reported cases of lung cancer among non-smokers (Sun et al., 2007). Therefore, a sure way to prevent the occurrence of lung cancer is to avoid the risk factors, the exposure to tobacco smoke and other chemicals. Research evidence has shown that even with the familial or genetic predisposition, the environmental factors play a part in triggering the incidences (Cunningham, Rumbold, Zhang, & Condon, 2008). Regular screening for lung cancer is important. It does not only help detect the disease early but also ensure that therapy is initiated early enough to be effective. In the recent years, tests have been developed to screen for lung cancer in people especially those who are at a higher risk of developing the disease (Cunningham et al., 2008). Early detection of cancer helps the individual patient to prepare adequately for therapy, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. It also allows the patient to prevent the progress of the cancer by avoiding the environmental factors associated with the occurrence as well as maintaining a quality life through lifestyle modification. All these benefits ensure a quality of life and reduce the rate of deaths associated with lung cancer that is diagnosed late while it is already unmanageable (Bech & Negrello, 2010). However, the tests used are new and not pre-tested. This means that in some cases the tests may miss a lung cancer case thereby giving the client the wrong impression. This may then lead to a late diagnosis because the physical symptoms of the disease occur late (Saslow et al., 2012). It is therefore necessary to ensure that the population that is identified to be at risk is encouraged to undergo annual screening of lung cancer and educated to avoid exposure to environmental triggers of lung cancer, this is particularly important for the people with genetic predisposition to lung cancer and those with underlying chronic lung condition (Walters et al., 2013). References Bech, A., & Negrello, T. (2010). Cancer in Australia 2010: an overview. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1–215. doi:AIHW cat no. CAN 56 Cancer Series Number. (2012). Cancer incidence projections Australia 2002 to 2011. Cancer, 150. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/can/cipa02-11/cipa02-11.pdf Cunningham, J., Rumbold, A. R., Zhang, X., & Condon, J. R. (2008). Incidence, aetiology, and outcomes of cancer in Indigenous peoples in Australia. The Lancet Oncology. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(08)70150-5 Goldstraw, P., Ball, D., Jett, J. R., Le Chevalier, T., Lim, E., Nicholson, A. G., & Shepherd, F. a. (2011). Non-small-cell lung cancer. Lancet, 378, 1727–40. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62101-0 Ridge, C., McErlean, A. M., & Ginsberg, M. S. (2013). Epidemiology of lung cancer. Seminars in Interventional Radiology, 30, 93–98. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1342949 Saslow, D., Solomon, D., Lawson, H. W., Killackey, M., Kulasingam, S. L., Cain, J., … Myers, E. R. (2012). American Cancer Society, American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and American Society for Clinical Pathology screening guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 137, 516–542. doi:10.1309/AJCPTGD94EVRSJCG Sun, S., Schiller, J. H., & Gazdar, A. F. (2007). Lung cancer in never smokers--a different disease. Nature Reviews. Cancer, 7, 778–790. doi:10.1038/nrc2190 Umar, A., Dunn, B. K., & Greenwald, P. (2012). Future directions in cancer prevention. Nature Reviews. Cancer, 12, 835–48. doi:10.1038/nrc3397 Walters, S., Maringe, C., Coleman, M. P., Peake, M. D., Butler, J., Young, N., … Rachet, B. (2013). Lung cancer survival and stage at diagnosis in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK: a population-based study, 2004-2007. Thorax, 68, 551–64. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2012-202297  Read More