Epidemiology Research Program Conducts American C
Please write a paragraph responding to the discussion bellow. Add citations and references in alphabetical order.
.How the American Cancer Society might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend and why?
The American Cancer Society offers a toll-free help line where specialists are available to answer questions related to cancer and connects people with community resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Society also provides a “patient navigator” to talk to patients about their particular situation and needs. The organization also prepares and provides several reference guides for prevention and early detection of cancer and organizes community health awareness events that educates people on ways to prevent cancer and on management of various cancers. I would recommend that my friend take advantage of all these services to assist in the management of my friend’s cancer.
What factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans? What changes in policy and practice are most likely to affect these figures over time?
A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors (American Cancer Society, n.d.). A person’s lifestyle can increase their risk for cancer, for example, use of tobacco, chronic use of alcohol, poor diets, physical inactivity. Exposures to things in the environment, such as radon, air pollution, chemicals in the workplace, or radiation during medical tests or procedures, also play a role in some adult cancers. Inherited genes can sometimes lead to cancer earlier in life than would normally be expected. Examples include BRCA gene mutations, which increase the risk of breast and some other cancers, and APC gene mutations, which increase the risk of colorectal cancer (American Cancer Society, n.d.).Formulating more stringent policies to protect employees of various chemical industries against exposure to chemical/environmental carcinogens can improve incidence of these types of cancers. Lack of preventive strategies in place affect these figures. Inadequate screening facilities for early detection and education on preventive measures against cancer. Screening programs can effectively reduce the burden of cancer. One fundamental barrier to cancer screening imposed by the structure of the U.S. health care system is that a large proportion of the eligible population lacks access to health care. People without insurance coverage have worse access to care than people who are insured. One in five uninsured adults in 2017 went without needed medical care due to cost. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that the uninsured are less likely than those with insurance to receive preventive care and services for major health conditions and chronic diseases (Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018). Obama care has covered health care access and screening to large portion of population without insurance coverage at this time. Also, expansion of Medicare and Medicaid coverage for mammography beginning age 40 years, pap smear and pelvic examination, prostate cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening has helped in early diagnosis and treatment of cancer (healthcare.gov, n.d.).
Select a research program from among those funded by the American Cancer Society. Describe the program and discuss what impact the research will have on the prevention or treatment of cancer.
The American Cancer Society’s epidemiology research program conducts large scale research studies to advance the understanding of cancer etiology, survival and long-term survivorship and inform cancer prevention and control programs, policies and guidelines (American Cancer Society, n.d.). According to the organization, the research program has a major role in cancer prevention in both national and international efforts. More than 750 scientific articles by American Cancer Society epidemiologists have been published from these studies. Findings from these studies have contributed significantly to tobacco-related research, and to the understanding of obesity, diet, physical activity, hormone use, air pollution, and various other exposures in relation to cancer and other diseases (American Cancer Society, n.d.).
American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/