Devrie Rozsa

I called the American Cancer Institute and had a nice discussion with Amy, a cancer information specialist. We talked about certain trends in cancer funding, cancer types, and factors leading to cancer in people today. She then led me to an article we discussed that shared some of the top trends in preventative measures toward cancer.

The first trend in preventative measures is tobacco control. One of the top most common cancers among people in the world today is lung cancer. Tobacco use is a main contributor to this statistic. If tobacco use around the world were at much lower levels, then the number of lung cancer victims would not only decrease among smokers but among those suffering from second hand smoke. The American Cancer Institute is actively promoting smoking reduction levels. Tobacco industries are heavily targeting Sub-Saharan Africa because of its relatively low smoking rates. The American Cancer Institute is actively campaigning against this.

 Another prevention trend is nutrition and physical activity. Physical activity and nutrition prevents obesity and the negative side effects that come with it. When the body is not physically healthy to start with, it is more prone to major fallacies like cancer. Increasing trends in obesity stopped in 2010, which is a hopeful sign for the future health of people around the world. This will expectantly decrease levels of cancer found in people worldwide.

Comprehensive school education is another major trend in the anticipation of cancer. When awareness is raised in the youth then they are able to take precautions early in life. It also draws attention to research cancer programs that need funding. Once the word is spread, more people can contribute to finding a cure to these diseases. School health education is definitely a crucial part in the prevention and raised awareness of problems with cancer.

Access to care is an important trend with deterrence of cancer. Regular check-ups for abnormalities are crucial in stopping the spread of cancer in its early stages. Precautionary examinations have saved many lives and are very important to a long healthy life. The thing that is unfortunate about this is that not everyone has equal access to health care. Lower classes sometimes have no way of getting health coverage and thus have to go without precautionary check-ups. This could potentially lead to problems in cancer rates with the lower class.

Perhaps one of the most important trends in cancer prevention is fundraising. There are times when cancer, no matter how healthy you are and how many precautionary measures you have taken, will just happen. However, there is always research to be done to find a cure. The Institution needs full public support in order to financially support research facilities. Income development and cancer awareness campaigns are integral in getting funds for the facility. As long as the funds come, there is always a chance that cancer will be able to be cured for good.