We know that cancer is one of the most deadly and most popular diseases in the world, but did you know that cancer as well is mainly dependent on whether or not we are in poverty or rich? Sounds crazy, but it makes sense nonetheless.
Based on a new study, some cancers in the United States are more common in folks who are in poverty, while other types of cancers are more common in folks who are wealthy. In the poorer sections of the United States, there's less risk for individuals to get cancer, the incidence is higher in the wealthiest sections.
Still, deaths from cancer are higher in poor sections of the country, and this is expected since these individuals do not have the money to pay for advanced treatment.
"Socioeconomic status is not something that appears on a medical record, so it is not really part of national cancer statistics, and this has skewed our thinking about cancer risk," said study co-author Kevin Henry, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey.
The research claims that folks in poorer neighborhoods are likely to suffer from certain cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma and cancers of the larynx, cervix, penis and liver while people in richer areas are likely to suffer from melanoma, thyroid and testis.
For the study, the researchers used the U.S. Census information to determine the poverty rate of patient's neighborhood. The researchers measured 16 states and Los Angeles County to help conclude their findings in the study.
"We had data for almost 3 million cancer diagnoses in an area covering 42 percent of the United States population," Henry said. "This allowed us to look at some rare cancers that are less often studied. Overall, the breadth and depth of our analysis is unprecedented."
As it stands, cancers are found much earlier in wealthy folks, while with poorer individuals, it usually happens when the cancer is at a mid-late stage. This can be solved if poorer neighborhoods are educated on why folks should visit the doctor on a regular basis for better health, and why they should live a healthier lifestyle going forward.
