The Economics of Prostate Cancer Screening Essay example

Today, prostate cancer is usually detected through screening, and there are two methods for early detection. The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used, but there are

In the United States, it’s estimated that roughly 1 in 5 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) of the National Cancer Institute, “the number of new cases of prostate cancer was 129.4 per 100,000 men per year. The number of deaths was 20.7 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2009-2013 cases and

Prostate Cancer is a disease in which there is an uncontrolled growth of cells that lines the ducts of the prostate gland. The abnormal cells can spread throughout the prostate and nearby organs, such as the seminal vesicles. If not caught early they can spread (metastasized) to other organs of the body through the lymph or blood stream. (“...Treatment...” 13) Prostate Cancer can be like a silent killer. Some may show signs and symptoms of this disease while others may not. Some symptoms may include frequent urination, blood in the urine or semen, delayed or slowed start of urinary stream and dribbling or leakage of urine. Diagnosis testing for Prostate Cancer are digital

The CDC estimates that each year, more than eight million people are diagnosed, and consequently died from cancer, and this statistic was even higher in the 1950s. During this period, little was known of cancer’s effects on the

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which irregular cells divide without any control and have the capability to penetrate and infect normal body tissue through the blood and lymph system. Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the United States, exceeded barely by heart disease. According to the CDC Cancer Statistics and Data, there were more than 1.45 million people diagnosed with various kind of cancer between 1999 and 2007 and out of those more than 562,000 people died due to cancer (cdc.gov, 2012). Currently there are more than 200 different types of cancer that have been discovered. Cancer could be

Despite vast advancements in healthcare African-American men lack appropriate necessities when it comes to health care. Continuous efforts to bridge the gap among African American men with prostate cancer still remains high in the United States. Evidence shows how disproportionate this ethnic population leads in both incidence and mortality rate concerning social determinants of health, as well as health disparities. Major key factors that contribute to this health disparity among African Americans men are low socioeconomic status (SES) and being medically offered inadequate services. According to Richardson et al. (2004), "Prostate cancer (PCa) is most common and the second leading cause of cancer death among American men." However, prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African-American men, as compared to other race. One of the main barriers hindering the care of this ethnic population is the lack of knowledge. As an Advanced Nurse Practitioners, it is crucial to identify areas in SDoH and health disparities that affect African American men health. False perceptions, misunderstanding and improper information must be replaced with factual information, and communicated accurately (Richardson et al. 2004).

A biological influence on this health disparity is a genetic predisposition seen in African American men. Several studies have shown a chromosome that is more common in African American men that increases the risk of prostate cancer. The chromosome is 8q24 variants, which is the most commonly seen, as well as, BCL2 and EphB2 linking to a higher incidence of prostate cancer (Modlin, 2012). The genetic predisposition has also been proven to cause prostate cancer to be a more aggressive disease in African Americans, likely leading to the higher mortality rates. The behavioral influence of being less likely to get screened and the biological influence of a genetic predisposition interact to influence the health disparity.

Men should talk with a doctor if they are 45 and at high risk for prostate cancer. This includes those with a family history, especially African American men.

The best treatment for the prevention of cancer is early detection. In September, The National Football League (NFL) teamed up with Cancer Treatment Centers of America and LabCorp to educate men about the risks of prostate cancer and to offer Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening.

Each year approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (Eggener, Cifu, & Nabhan, 2015). In 2015, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer related cause of death among United States men (Eggener, et. al., 2015). While the majority of prostate cancers are slow growing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98%, statistics show that when prostate cancer is identified as metastatic, the 5-year survival rate dramatically drops down to 20-25% (Eggener, et. al., 2015). According to these numbers alone, it appears screening for prostate cancer would be a well-accepted practice. However, current methods of screening for this cancer are controversial and has lead organizations like the U.S Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to different guidelines for screening.

At the Prostate Cancer Symposium, sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), two leading clinicians and cancer researchers engaged in a point / counterpoint discussion that proved to be illuminating and directional in moving the focus. Though the discussion was themed to create positions of pro versus con, the reality of their arguments really showed more agreement than not.

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

There are over 14 million cancer victims currently living in the United States. There are over 1,500,000 new cases of cancer that occur every year. Cancer is the number two cause of death in the United States just behind heart disease. There are over 500,000 cancer related deaths in the nation each year. Lung and bronchus cancer are the leading killers with over 150,000 deaths a year. Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer for males with over 220,000 cases a year. For females, breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer with over 230,000 cases a year. These statistics were pulled from www.cancer.org. Current trends suggest that these numbers may continue along their present rate but over time improved treatments will shift the

The known risk factor for this disease is the old age, when men get older the prostate tissue increase the receptivity to growth factor, and the body increase the production of estrogen which seems to prime androgen receptors in the prostate, stromal tissue ( fibromuscular and connective tissue) stimulated by androgens dihydrotestosterone(DHT) the main prostatic intracellular androgen stimulate the androgen receptor on the stromal cells which stimulate the growth of the fibromuscular tissue. Increasing the number of cell will increase the size of the prostate, hyperplasia will push up against the fibrous capsule which will increase the pressure on the urethra. Fibromuscular hyperplasia will increase the smooth muscle tone in the preprostatic

The aim of this review is to give an account of the second leading cause of death in the United States of America. The review described the origin of cancer, its nature, prevention strategies and treatment. It also evaluated the concept used by the author.