Belinda Johnson-Cornett
Osceola County Health Department

Chronic diseases account for the majority of mortality, morbidity, and disability in the United States.  More than 15 percent of the adult population suffers from a chronic disabling condition, such as arthritis, heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes.   Behaviors that lead to many chronic diseases, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and alcohol use, account for approximately 800,000 deaths in the United States annually. 

According to the (CDC) Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Cancer is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, second only to heart disease as the leading cause of death.

The CDC report for U.S. Cancer Statistics indicates that the most common cancers among men are prostrate, lung and colorectal.  For women, the most common cancers are breast, lung and colorectal.

What is cancer? Cancer is an uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells any place in the body.  There are many types of cancer with a variety of causes. Cancer in general is common. It is the second leading cause of death in Florida as well as the United States. The American Cancer Society says one in three people will get cancer during their lifetime.

The risk for most types of cancer goes up with age.  Therefore, it is important to consider age when trying to see what may be the cause of cancer.  Other risk factors such as where someone lives, their family’s health history, and personal health habits can add to the chance of getting cancer. It is important to be aware of these factors when trying to understand why and how often cancer occurs in an area. 

Cancer is often not caused by only one factor. Each type of cancer is almost always caused by a mix of factors. For most types of cancer, how well the body responds goes down as people grow older.  With many types of cancer, cases can be cured when caught early. Some of these types are cancer of the breast, cervix and colon.  Making sure you get the right kind of screening tests can possibly help detect and treat the disease sooner and help you have a life free from cancer.

The development of cancer is often very slow. The time between exposure to one or more cancer-causing agents until the onset of cancer, often depends on the type of cancer. However, in general, it takes approximately 10 to 30 years for the disease to be detectable.

What are cancer clusters? Cancer clusters are higher numbers of the same type of cancer cases than expected within a period of time and area. All cases in a cluster must involve the same type of cancer (breast cancer or lung cancer), or types of cancer scientifically proven to have the same cause.

Who should people contact if a cancer cluster is suspected?

If someone suspects a cancer cluster, they should call the local Health Department who will follow the required Department of Health Protocol for further study.

Prevention

The number of new cancer cases can be reduced, and many cancer deaths can be prevented. Research shows that screening for cervical and colorectal cancers as recommended helps prevent these diseases by finding precancerous lesions so they can be treated before they become cancerous. Screening for cervical, colorectal, and breast cancers also helps find these diseases at an early, often highly treatable stage.

A person’s cancer risk can be reduced in other ways by receiving regular medical care, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol use, avoiding excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and tanning beds, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and being physically active.

For more information about cancer and cancer prevention visit the (CDC) Center for Disease Control web site at www.cdc.gov

Belinda Johnson-Cornett is the executive director of the Osceola County Health Department.