Transcript Health Disparities in Massachusetts

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By: Thien Bui and Reshma Neupane
Lung Cancer
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Lung Cancer is an uncontrolled
growth of abnormal cells in one or
more lungs
Common Types
of Lung Cancer:
-non small cell
-small cell
A health disparity refers
to differences between
groups of people
compared to general
population.
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Some factors that
are affected by
health disparities
include:
- Quality
of health care
- Access to healthcare services
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- Racial and ethnic groups
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- Genetics
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- Living in cities/suburbs
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What causes Lung Cancer?
Cigarette smoking is the
primary cause of lung cancer.
Factors:
•Age in which smoking began
•How long the person has smoked
•The number of cigarettes smoked
per day
•How deeply the smoker inhales.
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How do carcinogens relate to
lung cancer?
Carcinogens are any substance that cause cancer.
They damage DNA and cause cells to divide at a faster
rate.
Cigarettes contain over 60 carcinogens which smokers
Text
are inhaling, putting them at Text
risk for lung cancer.
Other Risk Factors
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Secondhand Smoke
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Having family history of
lung cancer
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Exposed to high levels
of pollution and
radioactive materials.
Symptoms and Treatments for Lung
Cancer
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Treatments:
Symptoms:
A cough that doesn’t go
away
Constant chest pain
Coughing out blood
Shortness of breath
Swelling of neck and
face
Weight loss
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Chemotherapy: a drug
therapy that can stop
cancer cells from
multiplying
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Radiation Therapy: a
cancer treatment designed
to kill cancer cells and
shrink tumors.
Lung Cancer Incidence Rates
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African Americans
have a higher occurrence of
lung cancer
than any other racial or
ethnic group in the U.S.
African American men are
37% more likely
to get lung cancer than
Caucasian men.
For African American
women, the occurrence of
lung cancer is roughly
equal to that of Caucasian
women.
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Genetic Factors- because of the biological
make-up of African American bodies, they
are more likely to die from lung cancer than
Caucasians
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Social-Economic Factors(low education, low
access to healthcare services)

Environmental Factors- because of lower
income levels, African Americans often end
up living in more polluted communities.
Social-Economical Triangle
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Low Social Class
Low Access
to Healthcare
Low-Level
of education
Leads to…
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unawareness to severe side effects of the disease

uninformed for possible treatments and prevention.
Economic Comparisons
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Disparity in Education Levels
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Unequal Access to Healthcare
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Emergency Room
V.S
A person diagnosed with
lung cancer is likely to be
treated when they in their
later stages and are not
treated properly with a
specialist.
Primary Care Physician
A person with lung
cancer is more likely to
be treated at earlier
stages of lung cancer,
with the proper
equipment and
respiratory specialists.
Shocking Recent Reports
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While African Americans don't
smoke more than Caucasians,
research shows that they are more
likely to smoke menthol cigarettes
because of targeted ads by tobacco
companies.
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Menthol smokers have higher levels
of cotinine, a nicotine byproduct, in
their blood. This is an indication of
higher exposure to nicotine, which
may lead to higher levels of
addiction.
Lung Cancer Statistics in
Massachusetts
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Is Emphysema correlated with
Lung cancer?
Yes. The two are correlated, but having
emphysema does not certainly cause you to have
lung cancer.
The primary cause of both
is cigarette smoking.
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Disparity in Treatments in the U.S
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Progress Made:
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Progress
is being made by organizations promoting
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“Tobacco Control” and “The Healthy Air Act”.
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Right in here in Worcester at UMass Medical School
and UMass Memorial, a policy had been implemented
that no smoking is allowed on campus grounds.
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Schools and restaurants have made no smoking
policies where you have to be at least 20 feet away
from the area to smoke.
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In Conclusion
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Lung Cancer is one of the deadliest forms of
cancer in Massachusetts
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Biological, Socioeconomic, and Environmental
factors play a significant role in the health
disparity
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There is disparity in treatment, education
levels, income, and employment rate.
References
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Lung Cancer Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Center for Disease
Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/index.htm
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Hicks, W. J. (n.d.). Too Many Cases, Too Many Deaths: Lung Cancer in African
Americans. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from American Lung Association website:
http://www.lungusa.org/associations/ states/california/assets/pdfs/too-many-casestoo-many.pdf
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Reference Summary: Lung Cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from U.S
National Library of Medicine website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/
lungcancer/oc079104.pdf
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Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, July 8). Lung Cancer. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038
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American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Lung Cancer- Non Small Cell. Retrieved July 12,
2011, from American Cancer Society website:
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/LungCancer-Non-SmallCell/index
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Stoppler, M. C. (n.d.). Lung Cancer. In Lung Cancer. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from
Medicine Net website: http://www.medicinenet.com/lung_cancer/article.htm
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Lung Cancer. (2003, October 23). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from National Cancer
Institute website: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/lungcancer/lungcancerdefined/01.html