American Cancer Society – Cancer Education and Support
1.Imagine that a family friend or colleague has just been diagnosed with cancer. Explain how the American Cancer Society might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend and why?
The American Cancer Society website is a great resource to start with. The website also has a helpline number if you are in need of speaking to someone. You can also utilize the site to find local cancer centers that can help with questions and information you may be looking for. We have several centers here in Arizona that specialize in oncology that have recently helped my family members in finding out about treatment and quality of life. It was extremely beneficial for them in order to assist them in making future decisions. I’ve also lost my aunt to colon cancer when I was very young, she was only 36 years old. She was so young and naïve about serious health signs and symptoms that she didn’t let anyone know what was going on until it was very late. By the time she sought out healthcare, the cancer had metastasized.
2.According to statistics published by the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 1.5 million new cancer cases diagnosed each year over the next decade. 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?
Factors that contribute to yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers are tobacco use, sun exposure, diet and exercise, and environmental exposures (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2017). In the small mining town in which I was raised, there was much controversy involving the pollutants from the mine and it’s relation to multiple health concerns of people that lived there. The toxic air pollutants, are those pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects. This means that people exposed to toxic air pollutants at sufficient concentrations and durations may have an increased chance of getting cancer or experiencing other serious health effects, such as damage to the immune system or neurological, reproductive, developmental, or respiratory problems.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and mucous membranes and effects in the brain and nervous system and has been strongly associated with lung cancer. Exposure to lead (inhalation or oral) can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal, and cardiovascular systems, and early childhood and prenatal exposures are associated with slowed cognitive development, learning deficits, and other effects (United States Environmental Protection Agency. [EPA], 2017).
3.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 global program aims to eliminate cancer as a major health problem worldwide through programs that support local cancer organizations, hospitals and government ministries in their efforts to increase awareness about cancer prevention, international cancer advocacy and tobacco control.
Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is a leading public-private partnership aimed at catalyzing the global community to reduce deaths from cervical and breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America by raising awareness of these diseases and increasing access to quality services to detect and treat them. ACS and PRRR have joint priorities focused on women’s cancer advocacy and planning activities in Ethiopia and Tanzania (ACS, 2017).
American Cancer Society. [ACS]. (2017). Healthy. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.org/healthy.html
American Cancer Society. [ACS]. (2017). Global Health Work. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.org/health-care-professionals/our-global-health-work/cancer-partnerships.html
United States Environmental Protection Agency. [EPA]. Enforcement. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement