Cancer: The Costs, Causes, And Cures Essay

Cancer is a deadly disease that has some very serious effects on a person both physically and mentally. Cancer can result in a simple surgery that may take only a couple days, or a life-long struggle that leaves someone so fatigued and tired that it makes them want to give up. It will put fear in anyone's eyes and will devastate even the strongest of people, but cancer can bring out the courageousness in a person to fight this disease and not give up. It can be a fatal disease but it can also bring out the strength in someone which is an amazing thing. Cancer has many serious effects on a person's body and their mental health and others, but can also inspire a person to dig deep and fight this disease

Cancer is one of the leading cause of death in Australia and has a considerable social and economic influence on individuals, families and the community. Statistics shows that Australia has third highest cancer rate approximately 323 people being diagnosed per 100,000 in the world. (Begg & etal, 2007, pg.116). According to the recent disease study in burden of disease by WHO and Global Burden of disease study 2012, the findings of study showed 16% and 19% of the total disease burden in Australia (Moore & et al, 2007 pg.88)). Cancer is the sixth most expensive chronic disease due to the high expenditure of treatment and management compared to other chronic disease. It has been further described that approximately $4.5 billion were spent on cancer in 2008-09, accounting for 7% of total healthcare expenditure on chronic disease (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013b, p.7) and 79% of total expenditure that spent on cancer patients who were admitted in hospital which is 20% more than the same expenditure that was spent on all

. Jettowyne, (The Compassionate Friends, 2011, November 4), stated, “Friends don’t want to say your child’s name, because they think it will make you feel bad”. Being open and asking or commenting on the child is essential in the healing process and showing support.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In 2011, more than 575,000 people died of cancer, and more than 1.5 million people had a diagnosis of cancer. Millions more have been affected by cancer directly post diagnosis or indirectly by taking care of a loved one that had been diagnosed with cancer. The actual cost of such a disease extends well beyond the number of lives lost and new diagnoses each year. Cancer survivors, as well as their family members, friends, and caregivers, may face physical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges as a result of their cancer diagnosis and treatment. The financial costs of cancer also are overwhelming. According to the National Institutes of Health,

Cancer affects everyone – the young and old, the rich and poor, men, women and children – and represents a tremendous burden on patients, families and societies. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, particularly in developing countries.

With cancer requiring colossal amounts of money from society to attempt to treat and cure the disease, it has become an important and relevant social issue in the United States. In 2016 alone, there will be an estimated 1,685,210 cancer diagnoses along with approximately 595,690 deaths in correlation with cancer in the United States (Cancer). Although with the United States having a population around 318 million, only approximately 5% of the population will be affected by cancer. With this only affecting a small portion of the total population, the topic of cancer can create a social issue and source for debate

Cancer is the main cause of death in the world, estimating 8.2 million fatalities in 2012 alone

Cancer is a very general term that can refer to many different diseases. The different major classifications of cancer are Carcinoma, Leukemia, Myeloma, Lymphoma, and Sarcoma. Carcinoma is a cancer of the external or internal linings of the body such as epithelial tissue. Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow. This is also known as blood cancer, because bone marrow is the site where blood cells are produced. Myeloma is a cancer found specifically in the plasma cells of bone marrow. Lymphoma is a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. The cancer appears in the nodes, glands,

- There are different kinds of Cancers that can be caused by many different factors.

According to the Canadian Cancer Statistics (2015), “about 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, and about 1 in 4 Canadians will die of cancer” (p. 6). In 1971, President Nixon and Congress declared a war on cancer. Since then, the U.S Federal government has spent over 105 billion on the effort. Dr. Spector and Dr. Kolata, a noted professor of medicine, pharmacology and biochemistry, have noted that since 1950, the cancer death rate, adjusted for the size and age of the population has decreased by only 5%. They argue that there has been little progress on the war against cancer.

Cancer is where abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and destroy tissue. With each special type of cell through differentiation each cancer is unique like Leukemia and breast cancer.

More than 200 different types of have been identified, some of which are caused by inherited genetic defects while others are caused by environmental factors and lifestyle choices (Davis, 2016). In most cases early diagnosis of cancer leads to a better prognosis, making it essential for individuals to see their primary care providers for any unexplained and persistent symptoms (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2015b). Although the signs and symptoms listed in table 1 are commonly associated with cancer, they are not only specific to

Why focus on treatment instead of finding a cure? It is simple; there is in profit in finding a cure for cancer. Desperate and eager to live, the typical cancer patient spends about $50,000 fighting the disease. Chemotherapy drugs are among the most expensive of all treatments, many ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 for a one-month supply. If the cancer industry allows a cure, then their patient base goes away (Dr. Mercola, D. (2011, January 1). Cancer: Forbidden Cures | Natural Cancer Treatment. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/03/natural-cancer-treatment.aspx.) It makes more

Cancer is defined by The American Cancer Society (2015) as a compilation of diseases that consist of more than one hundred different types of cases. Each of these cases has something in common; that some of the cells in the body start to become abnormal and multiply uncontrollably. These affected cells have the capability to spread into nearby tissues and eventually affecting the whole body, causing serious illness and death.

Cancer has been one of the biggest killers in the world for the past 100 years. Previously, before science advanced to the point that it’s at today; no one really understand where cancer came from or why it would suddenly generate inside a human’s body. But, since finding out the reasons behind all of the hundreds of different cancers, there’s almost always a cause/health defect.