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One of every four deaths in the United States is
from cancer. Since
1990, nearly 15 million new cancer cases have been
diagnosed. In 2001 alone, more than 1 million new
cancer cases will be diagnosed. However, these
estimates do not include most in situ (preinvasive)
cancer, or approximately 1 million cases of
nonmelanoma skin cancer expected to be diagnosed
this year. Beyond
the physical and emotional burden, cancer presents a
tremendous cost burden to patients, employers and
health care systems.
The estimated overall cost for cancer in the
year 2000 exceeded $180 billion.
While
there are genetic and other biophysiologic processes
that are associated with cancer, there are a range
of other factors that are associated with the
prevention of cancer, including behaviors, screening
tests and education about risk factors.
In order to make the best use of these cancer
prevention resources, it is important to identify
the most effective strategies available to increase
their use, especially among populations at increased
cancer risk or poor utilization of screening
services such as ethnic and minority groups.
Goals
of the Cancer-Related Reviews:
The Task Force on Community Preventive
Services, with the support of the Centers for
Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute and a
range of experts in public and private sectors are
in the process of conducting a systematic review of
studies of selected population-based interventions
focusing specifically on preventing
or controlling cancer.
These include:
Many
completed or ongoing Community Guide systematic
reviews focus on interventions to promote healthy
behaviors and healthy environments.
Many of these interventions will have
important effects on cancer as well as other
important health effects, see for example the
completed community guide reviews on tobacco product
use prevention.
These
reviews are being conducted as part of The Guide
to Community Preventive Services, which
addresses community-based interventions summarizing
the published evidence on the effectiveness of such
strategies. Each
recommendation is based on the strength of the
evidence of effectiveness found during the
systematic reviews.
A determination that evidence is
insufficient should not be confused with evidence of
ineffectiveness.
A recommendation of insufficient evidence may
reveal gaps in the findings where future prevention
research is needed.
Decision makers should consider these
evidence-based recommendations and local needs,
goals, and constraints when choosing appropriate
interventions.
Anticipated
Dates of Completion:
We expect an overview of cancer-related materials in
the Community Guide, reviews of promoting informed
decisions about cancer screening, and reviews of
reducing UV exposure to be available in Spring 2002
with reviews of promoting breast, cervical, and
colorectal cancer screening to follow in late 2002.
Other
resources:
One-page summaries of each area of review
(screening, UV light exposure and informed decision
making) are available at http://www.thecommunityguide.org/Guide/cancer_f1.html
The
Guide to Community Preventive Services
(Community Guide) provides recommendations
on population-based interventions to promote health
and to prevent disease, injury, disability, and
premature death, appropriate for use by communities
and healthcare systems.
More information about
the Community Guide (including links to a
variety of resources) is available at http://www.thecommunityguide.org
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