A Proposal for Effective Cancer Intervention for the General Population

Cancer Intervention Proposal

Cancer is formed when the cell cycle goes out of control and starts creating and reproducing cells that are abnormal, this is called uncontrolled cell division. It is caused by the disruption of the cell cycle. When experiencing uncontrolled cell division, the contact inhibition may be malfunctioning. The contact inhibition is where cells chemically communicate; contact each other to stop cell growth or cell division. Cancer is caused by carcinogens, which are substances that mutate our DNA causing cells to divide uncontrollably. Metastasis is how cancer spreads, traveling to different parts of the body through the blood stream. Steps of cancer: a person is exposed to carcinogens; DNA mutates; mistakes occur in the cell cycle; uncontrollable cell division; cancer.

Cancer is a non-infectious disease that is caused by carcinogens. The most common type of carcinogens that cause cancer is obesity, tobacco, radiation, pollution, and sun exposure. Other social factors are that cancer affects families and certain types of cancer affects certain types of people, such as cervical and breast cancer affect women, which could cause children to lose their mom due to cancer. Environmental factors are UV light, pollution, and asbestos. Limiting these may decrease your chances of getting cancer. Economic factors are the lack of available medical care due to having no money. Cancer is not found more often in certain areas of the world. It is found everywhere, but you may be at higher risk of having cancer if you live in an area that is high in carcinogens. People in all income areas have cancer, though the lower income rate an area has, the higher the death rate of cancer is, due to not having the money to pay for sufficient treatments. The number of new cases per year in the United States is1.7 million and worldwide is 12 million, and the number of deaths per year in the United States is 570,000 and worldwide is 7 million.

There are many treatments or interventions to cancer, such as screening for cancer, treatments, vaccinations (for cervical cancer only), but the intervention of choice in my opinion would be public programs. Public Programs would include informing the public about cancer and how it is caused. If people are educated about what cancer is exactly and how it is caused and can be prevented, then they will be aware of their actions, and protect themselves more than average. This would also include being able to spot cancer (skin cancer) and be able to get it tested early so that you can be treated and cured. Problems with this intervention are that sometimes people can’t dodge certain carcinogens, such as pollution or sun exposure. Environmental carcinogens are the hardest for people to stay away from, and also having to break habits like smoking, which can be very difficult.

People must follow the recommendations in order for them to be effective. In order for this intervention to take place, advertising and marketing agencies would have to be included, causing a low infrastructure level. The cost per person is low. Having a low relative cost will allow more people to be able to be included in the intervention, in all income level areas. Other interventions can be very high in cost, which will limit the people that will be able to have a part in the intervention.

There are many interventions for cancer, but in order to have the widest variety of people eligible for the intervention, you want to take cost and infrastructure needed into consideration.