Provides the reader with an ordered list of sources and a brief summary of each. May also provides brief explanations of why each source is credible and relevant to the topic.

Campero 1

WRIT340

10 September 2020

Rising Cancer Cases

Cancer is a common non-communicable disease that has remained to be a global epidemic. In its various types, cancer has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the 21st century. The cancer incidences continue to increase in different parts of the world, considering that the human population is aging, which increases the chances of developing cancer. The notion that cancer affects people from wealthier countries no longer holds, considering that high cancer cases have been reported in developing countries. These countries have reported increased cases of premature mortality from various types of cancer. Cancer is a global pandemic, and its prevention and management should be directed to the entire world rather than selected countries or regions.

Current Trends and Intended Changes

Numerous interventions have since been developed to minimize the chances of developing cancers. Still, the measures have not been effective in reducing the incidences of the disease. Most of the steps in place are directed toward screening people to detect cancer's early stages (Lebel 425). Stakeholders in healthcare must embark and invest more in preventive strategies than on the standard screening procedures for cancer. Treating cancer is extraordinarily expensive for most people, and thus, preventing the disease is more beneficial than mere screening and leaving the patients to seek medication on their own. It is time that the international community comes together to design programs to help the less fortunate members of society with little access to advanced medical care for the treatment of later stages of cancer. Cancer patients from low-income backgrounds end up succumbing to cancer due to their inability to raise money to cater to the sophisticated procedures necessary to treat cancer.

Many awareness campaigns about cancer have been carried out, although the disease continues to post an increasingly high trend. These results indicate that more has to be done to deal with this menace, which has led to a significant number of deaths, especially among the aged population. Awareness campaigns must be centered on identifying the specific predisposing factors in a given community and advising them accordingly on the best ways to avoid the risk factors. Stakeholders in healthcare must invest in targeted research studies to identify specific populations' issues that should be addressed to ensure that the problems do not expose cancer members. Generalized information about how healthy people can stay safe from cancer has been used for a long time. Still, it is essential to understand that such information does not work equally in all people (Macpherson 812). There are different attributes about people that determine their chances of developing cancer, such as age and ethnicity. Awareness campaigns should be optimized such that the information given ends up being useful in helping a particular population avoid risky behaviors or conditions at their disposal, which increases their chances of developing cancer.

Aging increases the risk of developing cancers, which implies that the aged population is suffering from the disease at a larger rate than younger people. It is time that scientists embark on studies on how the natural cell death in aged individuals can be regulated to counter the genetic mutations resulting in cancer development (Aunan et al. 628). Success in such molecular studies would form a basis for developing medical interventions to reduce the chances of older adults who have cancer, especially in cases where exposure to carcinogenic agents cannot be prevented. The development of therapeutic agents regulating body cells' biological death would be a significant step towards developing a vaccine used on older adults. Such a vaccine's effectiveness would be a milestone in the various programs used to control cancer cases in different parts of the world.

It is crucial to consider the environmental factors that have been neglected in most cases despite their considerable risks in promoting cancer development. The regulatory authorities should make efforts to address issues such as pollution, which is responsible for the production of carcinogens that are causative agents of cancer. Various forms of environmental pollution need to be addressed, considering that the increase in the human population results in increased pollution cases. Only some pollution cases go unreported or unmanaged, but they have a considerable effect on promoting cancer development in human beings (Oliveri et al., 2422). There has been an increase in the use of chemicals in the recent past, which exposes the population to high chances of developing cancer. Most people get exposed to cancer without knowing, considering that they end up consuming foods produced by chemicals that might contain carcinogens. At this time, emphasis should be put on organic farming as an excellent way to convince members of the public on the importance of avoiding chemically-produced foods as one way of staying safe from cancer.

Cancer cases are increasing in developing countries, which indicates a critical surge in cancer cases in the near future. Most developing countries have challenges in financing healthcare systems, and things are bound to worsen if their healthcare systems become overwhelmed by cancer cases. Similar to how we have seen during the COVID pandemic, it is upon the individual government to get started on sophisticated medical procedures to handle high cancer instances should the increasing trend continue. Governments ought to invest more in systems that can identify cancer in its early stages to allow for early interventions that are less expensive to ordinary people. The relevant authorities should embark on strategies that make it mandatory for older adults to undergo regular checkups to detect probable cases of cancer. Measures to offer advanced care to the elderly are a timely measure to ensure that the healthcare systems can respond to the urgent need of care by the elderly, especially those diagnosed with cancer. Family members of persons who have cancer need to be introduced to home-based care services to reduce the need for placing them in the hospital after the initial treatment. The ability to take care of cancer patients at home is an excellent way to reduce expensive cancer treatment costs.

Translational Research for Medical and Research Centers in the Fight against Cancer

Translational research is a recommendable option for medical research centers to intensify cancer research in the contemporary world. It requires that researchers are keen to use basic science and observation inpatient settings in developing advanced treatment options for cancer patients (Ringborg 517). Through translational research, scientists can convert their findings to information that can be utilized to enhance cancer patients' therapeutic procedures. There are many dynamics in how cancer manifests itself. A clear understanding of the processes and changes involved is an excellent way to develop new interventions to counter the disease's spread. It is time that researchers work in diversifying the treatment options for cancer that have been used for a long time in a generalized manner. Treatment options like chemotherapy have been indicated for all types of cancers with less attention given to other parameters such as the patient's age and the strength of a person's immune system. The general use of chemotherapy in all persons with cancer has resulted in several patients becoming extremely weak even after treatment. Researchers ought to look for safer treatment options that allow a patient to recover faster without developing other medical complications that interfere with their everyday lives.

Translational research offers the right way to get a good understanding of genetic changes that lead to cancer development. Information about the different biological changes for various cancers is a chance to develop effective interventions for each type of cancer. Researchers in this field should get started in gaining a general understanding of mutations that characterize each type of cancer. After getting insights into the mutations, trials should be carried out with the drugs used to treat cancer in a generalized way. The fact that different cancers have different manifestations, in terms of mutation, means that the drugs will have other therapeutic effects on the mutations. At this point, scientists can understand the components of medicines that should be changed or improved on the current drugs to make them useful in treating various types of cancers. Translational research is the right way to enhance medications commonly used in cancer treatment, but it may not be effective in all patients.

Conclusion

Cancer has since become a global epidemic that has continuously claimed many lives in the world, and it is vital to have a global perspective when developing and improving both its preventive and management programs. Several medical interventions have been created, but, unfortunately, cancer cases are on the increase, especially in developing countries. Cancer awareness campaigns must be optimized such that they address the risk factors in a given population rather than providing generalized information about cancer that may not be useful in its wide-ranging treatments. There is also a need to advance care for older adults at a higher risk of developing cancer. Translational research is the right way researchers can improve the current medications for cancer that have not been effectively treated and manage various types of cancer.

Works Cited

Aunan, Jan R., William C. Cho, and Kjetil Søreide. "The biology of aging and cancer: a brief overview of shared and divergent molecular hallmarks." Aging and disease 8.5 (2017): 628.

Lebel, Sophie, et al. "Current state and future prospects of research on fear of cancer recurrence." Psycho‐oncology 26.4 (2017): 424-427.

Macpherson, L. M. D. "Raising awareness of oral cancer from a public and health professional perspective." British dental journal 225.9 (2018): 809-814.

Oliveri, Serena, et al. "You do not get cancer by chance”: Communicating the role of environmental causes in cancer diseases and the risk of a “guilt rhetoric." Psycho-oncology 28.12 (2019): 2422.

Ringborg, Ulrik. "Translational cancer research–a coherent cancer research continuum." Molecular Oncology 13.3 (2019): 517-520.