Eonlinedoctors

Cancer Mortality and Racial Implications

2009-12-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

A significantly higher number of African Americans die from cancer than Caucasians - a recent study corroborates statistical figures that seem to remain almost unchanged from as early as 1981.

While the death rate for cancer has drastically decreased in the recent past, the gap between the death rate in Caucasians and African Americans still remains the same. African Americans seem to be at more risk to die from cancer than Caucasians.
African American women have a higher death rate than Caucasians women, compared to the percentage in 1981. For African American men, the higher death rate as compared to Caucasians men remains almost the same as before.

Estrogen receptive (ER) negative breast cancers are likely to be developed more by black women than white women. The ER negative breast cancer is more deadly than the breast tumors that are ER positive.

Still, this biological disparity does not explain the advantage of survival that white patients seem to have when affected by cancer.
The difference in survival rates may have something to do with the socio-economic backgrounds of most of the African American and Caucasian population, according to experts. African Americans tend to be diagnosed of cancer at a much later and more advanced stage of cancer than the Caucasians. They may also not be able to afford high end treatments as the Caucasians.

The relatively poor education and awareness among African Americans, lack of access to advanced diagnostic facilities and even the qualifications of physicians who are likely to treat the African American population have been shown as possible causative factors for this gap.

The level of education seems to have the greatest effect on cancer survival on both the Afro-American and Caucasian population. To close the racial gap, African Americans are encouraged to have a personal doctor, to be more proactive about their health, diet and exercise, and to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Even biologically driven differences that cause disparity in cancer survival rates between white and black patients may be driven by factors such as poverty and culture.

The healthcare system also needs to ensure that adequate training and resources are provided to hospitals handling Afro-American cancer patients to bring down this gap. Research done on this area seem to categorically point to the act that if medical care were equal and if preventive care was emphasized more for black patients bringing it at par with the white patients, the disparity in cancer survival would largely come down.

Impact of Radon Causing Lung Cancer

2009-10-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

We all know that smoking kills, but what many don’t realize is that it is exposure to Radon that causes the lung cancer that inflicts most smokers, and is the single greatest factor of lung cancer in non-smokers. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the Surgeon General have estimated that radon causes as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Lung cancer induced by Radon costs over $2 billion dollars every year in direct and indirect healthcare costs.

What is Radon?

In layman’s terms, Radon is a radioactive gas that causes cancer. Though Radon traces might be present in your home, you cannot see, smell or taste it.

If you smoke and your home has high levels of radon, your risk of developing Lung Cancer is very high. Children are more sensitive to Radon because of their high respiration rate and rapidly dividing cells. They are more vulnerable to damage caused by radiation.

The US EPA says that 1 in 3 homes that were checked in seven states had Radon screening levels of over 4 pCi/L, which is the recommended level for safe Radon exposure. Though there is no “safe level” for Radon exposure, it is agreed that the risk of death due to Radon at 4 pCi/l is approximately 1 in 100. The alpha radiation that Radon emits is the same as that emitted by radiation sources like Plutonium.

The statistics are terrifying. If a home has radon levels of 4 pCi/l or greater, it is equivalent to the family being exposed to 35 times as much radiation as allowed by the National Regulatory Commission, if they were standing next to a fenced radioactive waste site. A school student spending 8 hours per day in a classroom with 4 pCi/l of Radon receives almost 10 times as much radiation as allowed at the edge of a nuclear power plant.

How does it get to us?

Radon occurs naturally as a radioactive gas, it comes from the natural breakdown of Uranium. The radio active decay of Uranium causes Radon to be present in igneous rock and soil, and even in water in some cases.

Humans are exposed to Radon through ingestion and inhalation. Radon that is present in the ground, water or building materials can enter living and working spaces and disintegrate. High radon concentrations in groundwater can contribute to exposure through ingestion, but inhalation of radon as it is released from water is typically more important.

Testing for Radon

Testing for Radon is the only way in which you can know the Radon levels present in your home. You can hire someone to get your home tested for Radon; there are also simple test kits for about $20 that are available at hardware stores. These kits are normally to be placed in the lowest living area of the home; they should be left in place for a few days and then sent to the manufacturer who then reports back with a radon level reading.

virtual-colonoscopy

2009-09-22T03:53:00.000-07:00

The colon is the part of the large intestine just before the rectum; its primary purpose is to extract moisture from the digested food residues before they are excreted. A and Colonoscopy is what the doctor prescribes when he wants to take a look inside your colon. The colon is about 3 to 5 feet long and for a traditional colonoscopy the doctor would use an instrument called colonoscope. It is essentially a thin, long and flexible flexible fibre optic camera that allows the doctor to see the inside of the colon to look for any cancers or precancerous polyps. A Colonoscopy is used to screen for colorectal cancers and to investigate other diseases of the colon.

The colonoscopy procedure requires sedation or analgesia to make it relatively comfortable. But the fact remains that traditional colonoscopy involves using varying degrees of force to push the colonoscope through the intestine. Though excess pain is rare, patients often report a feeling of pressure, cramping or bloating throughout the procedure.

Though this is how most colonoscopies are still done, it is possible that this method will soon take a back seat to another procedure called virtual colonoscopy. Here, a CTA scan is used to make dramatic 3-D images of the colon. It is an x-ray procedure and almost as good as a traditional colonoscopy to detect polyps.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study which showed that virtual colonoscopy is more than 90% accurate in detecting large polyps which may be reason for concern. However, The Journal of the American Medical Association published a different finding stating that the accuracy of virtual colonoscopy is only about 55%. Though there was a difference in the technology used for both the studies, such conflict in research findings suggest that virtual colonoscopy needs some more research before it can be completely integrated into modern medicine to replace traditional colonoscopy.

For patients who wish to spare themselves the discomfort of a traditional colonoscopy however, virtual colonoscopy is still an available option. The best results are obtained when the patient drinks a barium contrast first. A medical center which has the latest 3-D imaging devices and will do the barium contrast procedure is your best bet. Insurance does not cover the cost of virtual colonoscopy, so as of now it is best suited for individuals who can afford the fee and want to avoid the traditional colonoscopy.

Find out if you are at risk for heart disease

2009-09-19T02:45:00.000-07:00

Each year, heart disease is taking toll of millions of people across the globe. While scientists are on a constant attempt to introduce advance methods in treating ailments of the heart, attempts are also being made to identify indications in the body that tell you whether you are at a risk for heart disease or not. Those found to be at a risk for heart disease can take precautions to avoid heart diseases.

The first step in preventing heart disease is to identify whether you are at risk for heart disease or not. Many theories have been put forward and many methods have been listed to identify whether you are at risk for heart disease. Some methods include a series of simple steps and others are so complicated that a thorough investigation of your DNA mapping needs to be done. While some methods are used to measure the risk are just vague and seem like guess work, some researchers take it up seriously and device appropriate strategies to determine certain traits in a person that call for action to prevent heart diseases.

Most studies consider BMI (Body Mass Index) as an indicator for heart disease .risks. But, a study conducted by the American College of Cardiology suggests that BMI alone is not enough to judge a person’s risk for heart disease. Researches involved with this study opine that the waist to hip ratio is the best indicator for general health and heart disease. So, even though your BMI falls in the healthy range, your waist-hip ratio can tell whether you have a healthy heart or not. Conversely, though your BMI tells that you are at risk for heart disease, your waist-hip ratio may actually have some good news for you about your heart health.

Most studies relate body weight to heart health. But every person who is overweight on the BMI scale need not have the risk for heart attack. Through the findings got from the study, researchers state that BMI does not identify patients who have fat deposits around the waist. They can merely determine the fat percentage of the entire body. This calculation is not enough to determine risk of heart disease in the person.

This study is a good reference for people who want to know if they have a risk for heart disease. Don’t let the BMI score mislead you in deciding that you are at risk for heart ailments in future. Make other tests in order to confirm your risk for heart disease before running into a panic.