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ACCC recognizes April as National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month.
Between 1991 and 2018, the cancer death rate in the United States fell by 31%. The increase in public awareness about the correlation between smoking and lung cancer has much to do with this drop. Although the disease was rare when first identified by doctors in the early 19th century, by the end of the 20th century, it had become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in more than 25 countries. Even today, more people in the US lose their lives to lung cancer than colon, prostate, and breast cancer combined. However, those 27 years also saw an increase in cancer prevention initiatives—fueled by ground-breaking research and technology—and a mission akin to that which put the first man on the moon.
Cancer Moonshot was launched in 2016 with the “ambitious goal of making a decade's worth of progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in just 5 years.” In February 2022, US President Joseph R. Biden began the next phase of the initiative with the objective of reducing the cancer death rate by 50% within 25 years; as well as improving the experience of survivors of cancer and patients with cancer and their families. President Biden’s recent proclamation of April as National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, is a significant step toward achieving these goals.
“Ending cancer is the kind of big and ambitious goal that America has always embraced. For the patients fighting for a better day, the survivors who give us strength, the caregivers who share their hearts, the lives we have lost, and the lives we can save, let us recommit to this vital work,” said President Biden in his address. Emily Hope Carroll, MHA, associate manager, Association Services, Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC), has a comprehensive understanding of just how vital this work is.
In 2018, Carroll’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. “It metastasized in his lymph nodes, but he had surgery, and the tumor was removed,” she said. “Being the anxious person I am, I googled if there was any connection between prostate cancer and any other types of cancer. One I had read about was breast cancer in women, and my doctor at that time dismissed it and said I was ridiculous, as no connection existed. At the time, I did not work in the oncology space, so I let it go.”
In the fall of 2021, her father was diagnosed with colon cancer and this time, the disease took his life following a grueling 17-month battle. “He had colonoscopies in the past but went through a period where he wasn’t working and did not have [health] insurance,” Carroll said. “He let 6 years pass between colonoscopies, and the first one he got revealed a cancer diagnosis.”
According to Carroll, her father’s diagnosis exemplifies the importance of regular cancer screening and detecting the disease early. “After he died, I asked my doctor for a baseline colonoscopy and genetic testing,” Carroll said. “She explained that because my dad had prostate cancer, there was a higher chance I could have one of the BRCA genes, and even if I don’t, if I had children, one of them could get that gene.
Carroll admits to knowing little about genetic testing prior to working for ACCC and connecting with genetic counselors across the Association’s extensive education program portfolio. Although her occupation gave her the information to advocate for herself, she believes that every patient should be informed of their choices and treatment options without being dismissed. “As a provider, even if you disagree with the patient, you can find a way to help them ease their fear,” she said. “Even if it’s nothing more than just listening to their concerns to ensure they don’t feel rushed in their appointment with you, and that you genuinely care about what they are concerned about. I think that goes incredibly far with patients.” This belief continues to inform the work that Carroll does at ACCC, as does the value of raising awareness for preventative cancer care. “Having a month dedicated to the screening, prevention, and early detection of preventable cancers is essential in continuing to educate people and reduce their occurrence,” Carroll said. “We have made too many advancements in science and medicine to have the cancer rates that we do, so I believe recognizing the importance of cancer prevention and early detection is more important than it has have ever been.”