Advanced Colon Cancer Pervasive in California Cancer Data Show; Statewide Study Suggests Low Testing for Highly Preventable Disease.SAN DIEGO San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. -- Seventeen communities throughout California have a significantly higher share of colon cancers colon cancer, cancer of any part of the colon (often called the large intestine). Colon cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. detected at an advanced stage compared to the rest of the state, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. data jointly released today by the American Cancer Society American Cancer Society, n.pr established in 1913, this national volunteer-based health organization is committed to the elimination of cancer through prevention and treatment and to diminishing cancer suffering through advocacy, scholarship, research, , California Division and the California Dialogue on Cancer at the Dialogue for Action, a statewide leadership summit focused on colon cancer. Advanced stage colon cancer refers to colon cancers that are diagnosed when the tumor tumor: see neoplasm. has already spread beyond the wall of the intestine to nearby tissues or to distant parts of the body. The five-year survival five-year survival Epidemiology The timespan that a person survives with a particular dread disease, in particular CA; 5YS facilitates standardization of survival statistics. See Cancer-free survival. rate for colon cancer is 65 percent when it has spread beyond the intestinal in·tes·ti·nal adj. Of, relating to, or constituting the intestine. intestinal pertaining to the intestine. intestinal accident wall and only eight percent when it has spread to distant parts of the body. Results show that in 17 communities, 70 percent or more of the colon cancer cases were diagnosed at an advanced stage (table below). Another 70 communities have 60-69 percent of colon cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage. "There's no reason why so many Californians should suffer with this disease," said Jon Greif, DO, FACS FACS Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. FACS abbr. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons FACS fluorescence-activated cell sorter. , president of the American Cancer Society, California Division and co-chair of the Dialogue for Action leadership summit. "The number of colon cancer deaths could be cut in half with regular testing beginning at age 50. These data, showing such a high percentage of advanced diagnoses throughout the state tell us that the testing message is not being heard by most Californians." Colon cancer is the third-most common cancer and third-greatest cause of cancer-related death among both men and women in California. Approximately 14,100 new cases will be diagnosed in California in 2006 and 5,270 people will die from the disease, according to California Cancer Facts & Figures, 2006. "The data map gives us an idea of which communities need the most assistance to help decrease both the number of new cases and deaths due to colon cancer in California," said Dr. Greif. "Participants at the Dialogue for Action leadership summit will begin to develop a blueprint blueprint, white-on-blue photographic print, commonly of a working drawing used during building or manufacturing. The plan is first drawn to scale on a special paper or tracing cloth through which light can penetrate. that ensures everyone, regardless of ethnicity ethnicity Vox populi Racial status–ie, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic or socioeconomic status socioeconomic status, n the position of an individual on a socio-economic scale that measures such factors as education, income, type of occupation, place of residence, and in some populations, ethnicity and religion. , has access to colon cancer testing." Survey data in California from 2004 show that only 43 percent of California adults ages 50 and over report having a sigmoidoscopy Sigmoidoscopy Definition Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure by which a doctor inserts either a short and rigid or slightly longer and flexible fiber-optic tube into the rectum to examine the lower portion of the large intestine (or bowel). or colonoscopy Colonoscopy Definition Colonoscopy is a medical procedure where a long, flexible, tubular instrument called the colonoscope is used to view the entire inner lining of the colon (large intestine) and the rectum. to test for colon cancer within the past five years. The proportion who tested was lower among African Americans African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. (41 percent), Hispanics (31 percent) and Asian/Pacific Islander/others (28 percent) and among persons in poverty (27 percent). Rates for other colon cancer testing methods were equally low. When colon cancer is diagnosed before it has extended beyond the intestinal wall, survival is nearly 90 percent. In 2002, only about 38 percent of new cases among Californians were diagnosed at this early stage. Developed in collaboration with the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation Dialogue for Action(TM) program, the Dialogue for Action leadership summit gathers health-care providers, policy makers, insurers, researchers, advocates, and survivors to develop strategies designed to increase colon cancer testing rates and reduce health disparities
Health disparities (also called health inequalities in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. throughout California. The conference is taking place on June 1 and 2 in San Diego. The data, gathered and analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. by the California Cancer Registry A cancer registry is a systematic collection of data about cancer and tumor diseases. The data is collected by Cancer Registrars. Cancer Registrars capture a complete summary of patient history, diagnosis, treatment, and status for every cancer patient in the United States, and , included 50,478 cases of colon cancer diagnosed among California residents aged 50 years and older between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2003.
Areas in California with the Highest Percentage (70% or more) of
Advanced Colon Cancer Diagnoses
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Percent
Late
County Communities Stage
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Placer Colfax/Meadow Vista 87.5
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Mendocino Fort Bragg/Westport 82.6
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Riverside Glen Valley/Mead Valley 80.8
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Boron/California City/Desert Lake/Mojave/North
Kern Edwards/Rosamond 78.4
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Lake Clearlake/Clearlake Oaks 78.8
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Los Angeles Lynwood South/Paramount North 74.5
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Forestville/Fort Ross/Guerneville/Jenner/Monte
Sonoma Rio/Occidental/Sea Ranch 75.0
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Kern Delano/McFarland 75.6
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Ashland/Brookfield Village/Castro Valley
South/Elmhurst/Hayward Northeast/San Leandro
Alameda North Central/San Lorenzo East 73.1
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Bishop/Bishop Paiute Tribe/Mustang Mesa/Round
Inyo Valley/West Bishop/Wilkerson 72.4
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Echo Park/Hollywood North Central/Silverlake
Los Angeles South 70.6
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Solano Vallejo 70.9
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San Joaquin French Camp/Stockton South/Stockton Southeast 70.7
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Shasta Bella Vista/City of Shasta Lake 70.3
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Bombay Beach/Calipatria/Desert
Imperial Shores/Niland/Salton City/Salton Sea Beach 70.0
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San Bernardino Ontario Northeast/Rancho Cucamonga South 70.7
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San Diego Ramona/Rock Haven/Rosemont 70.0
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The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing di·min·ish v. di·min·ished, di·min·ish·ing, di·min·ish·es v.tr. 1. a. To make smaller or less or to cause to appear so. b. suffering and preventing cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. With local offices in 106 communities, the California Division of the American Cancer Society reached 2.3 million Californians with cancer prevention and early detection messages last year. The American Cancer Society is the largest source of not-for-profit, non-governmental funding of cancer research in the US and is celebrating its 60th anniversary of cancer research in 2006. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org. |
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