Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Cancer is a condition that has a major impact on the lives of people who are affected or infected. It is the number one cause of death in both developing and developed countries. The statistics show that in 2012, there were an estimated 14.1 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in the world, and 8.2 million of these people would suffer cancer-related deaths. Even as campaigns to raise awareness increase, the main issue we as a society need to deal with is why so many people are dying from the disease?
The burden of cancer faces the entire world. Some studies have shown that if the proper authorities do nothing, this disease will affect more than 24 million people by 2030. It is essential to take care of the issues that face the people diagnosed. Here are some causes for the high mortality rate.
Discouragement
From celebrities to family members and friends, there are always stories going around about a person dying because cancer has reached an advanced stage. When one is diagnosed with cancer, one is likely to feel discouraged. Remembering such stories and incidents may make them feel that they have lost everything in life. Despite the increased rate of survivors, some patients, once diagnosed with cancer, feel like they are serving a death sentence.
It is, therefore, essential to create platforms where patients can speak out, share, and encourage each other. On these platforms, they should have a chance to hear from those who have had the condition and survived. This interaction will show them that death is not the only outcome of having the disease.
Late Diagnosis
Some people find out they have cancer when it is in the late stages, and therefore treatment is not very helpful. The rate of cancer mortality is expected to increase to 13.1 million by 2030, mostly because of misdiagnosis and late prognosis. The truth is that certain types of cancers have a high chance of cure once they are detected early and treated adequately.
The delays in treatment may be due to patient, primary care, or secondary care issues. Patients may delay or fail to recognize and act on suspicious symptoms. The poor public awareness of the early symptoms of cancer will be considered a predominant reason why people don’t get treated, especially when symptoms are typical. The main reason most people do not go to the doctor is that they are concerned about what the doctor might find. They also have difficulty explaining their situations to the doctor. With breast cancer awareness socks, t-shirts, armbands, celebrity matches, and other campaigns, people will open up and feel comfortable going for tests.
Imitation of the Illness
In some cases, the illness may imitate a disease, and therefore a patient may be treated for the symptoms and never actually get tested for cancer. For instance, in the early stages, oral cancer may be mistaken for other issues like a cold or a toothache. A person may also experience a sore throat and mouth sores. Sometimes the early signs of bone cancer may be mistaken for arthritis. It is, therefore, crucial that anyone without being unsuccessfully treated for a condition be tested for cancer.
Bad Habits
It is known that smoking increases the chances of a person having cancer and other related diseases, and yet many people continue to smoke and thus get the illness. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death. It has the highest mortality rate among all other types of cancer. This is mainly because the smokers who are diagnosed with this disease continue to smoke even after prognosis. It, therefore, causes further deterioration of their lungs and thus faster progression of the disease to other organs. If a person sticks to a healthy diet, foregoes the bad lifestyle habits, and takes the right medication, they can survive for any disease.
Conclusion
The relationship between cancer diagnosis and the mortality rate is a complicated one. Statistics show that people who have the disease may die because of their beliefs or misdiagnosis. However, as more and more cancer awareness campaigns succeed, people will learn to take better care of themselves and their loved ones. They will also have fewer issues talking to their doctors about what they are feeling.
