Don’t give yourself excuses not to go for a cancer screening, or to embark on a healthier lifestyle. According to research from Harvard University, these have greatly helped to lower cancer mortality rates by 13 percent since 1990.
Focusing on mainly lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers, the research was performed by David Cutler, an Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
His research found that screening and behavioral changes have contributed both equally and substantially to the decline in cancer mortality rates. For lung cancer, behavior changes, which include smoking cessation, has had the most impact.
Cutler said that while screening is expensive, “…it has led to significantly longer life expectancy for those diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer.” For colon cancer, Colonoscopies have had a major hand in preventing its formation.
On the whole, cancer treatment was the least effective in cutting cancer mortality rates.
Cutler said: “A health care system working for cancer would prevent people from getting it, catch it early, and then treat people accordingly. If our healthcare sys-tem was focused in this way, there could be a huge benefit."
Source: ScienceDaily; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202133224.htm
W.
Focusing on mainly lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers, the research was performed by David Cutler, an Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
His research found that screening and behavioral changes have contributed both equally and substantially to the decline in cancer mortality rates. For lung cancer, behavior changes, which include smoking cessation, has had the most impact.
Cutler said that while screening is expensive, “…it has led to significantly longer life expectancy for those diagnosed with colorectal or breast cancer.” For colon cancer, Colonoscopies have had a major hand in preventing its formation.
On the whole, cancer treatment was the least effective in cutting cancer mortality rates.
Cutler said: “A health care system working for cancer would prevent people from getting it, catch it early, and then treat people accordingly. If our healthcare sys-tem was focused in this way, there could be a huge benefit."
Source: ScienceDaily; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202133224.htm
W.
0 comments: