Chan, Patrick
(2018)
Racial disparities in lung cancer survival.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer that afflicts men and women. Prostate and breast cancer are more common in men and women, respectively. About 14% of all new cancers are lung cancers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death amongst both men and women. It is estimated that 1 out of 4 cancer deaths are from lung cancer. In each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. In 2017, the American Cancer Society projected that there will be about 222,500 new cases of lung cancer with about 155,870 deaths in the United States. The overall chance of developing lung cancer in a lifetime is about 8% for a man and 6% for a woman. The prevalence is significantly higher for African-American males and for lower socioeconomic classes. The objective of this essay is to highlight important aspects of the racial disparities of lung cancer survival and to highlight specific goals the community should work towards bridging the gap. In summary, we discover that African Americans have different smoking patterns and mistrust towards the medical community, which may negatively impact their increased propensity for developing lung cancer. Even after removing the cancer, they experience increased morbidity and mortality, which corresponds with lower education and income. Such disparities highlight public health goals. First, in the social setting, plans need to be enacted to improve the education and socioeconomic status of the African American community. Furthermore, the medical community must continue to build trust within this community to carry action plans to provide appropriate and equal medical education and healthcare.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Finegold, David N | dnf@pitt.edu | UNSPECIFIED | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Terry, Martha Ann | materry@pitt.edu | UNSPECIFIED | UNSPECIFIED |
|
| Date: |
26 April 2018 |
| Date Type: |
Submission |
| Number of Pages: |
24 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Multidisciplinary MPH |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Date Deposited: |
14 Nov 2018 20:46 |
| Last Modified: |
14 Nov 2018 20:46 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/34301 |
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