Introduction
Breast cancer is currently the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Prediction through statistics shows that more than one tenth of American women have experienced or will experience this disease. Despite the fact that over the past thirty years the mortality rate has decreased significantly, the risks brought by this disease are quite high. It is required to highlight the range of methods used by the state’s medical community to prevent and eliminate disease. The Healthy People 2020 project provides an opportunity to look at these initiatives from a more global vision of a healthy and prosperous world. Using the conceptual framework of this program, it is possible to propose interventional practices that could contribute to the fight against breast cancer in Miami.
Overview and Data Interpretation
In Miami, Florida, disease detection methods are directly related to incidence rates. In general, it is possible to set an approximate threshold of 100 cases of detection of the disease per 100,000 women (Goel et al., 2020). The methodology changed in 2007 and the number of detected cases decreased for a while, but then increased with renewed vigor (Goel et al., 2020). This proves that the methods of establishing the disease always need additional adjustment. The situation with the diagnosis of breast cancer is directly related to the availability of medicine in the state and the general awareness of the non-population. Diagnosis for certain segments of the population may seem like something insignificant or even unworthy due to the class difference. Cases where the non-white population of the state is deprived of medical care are not rare in modern medical practice.
Speaking about the statistical outlines of the problem in Miami, two criteria should be distinguished – the frequency of diagnosis and the level of ability to survive. The first position has been showing approximately similar statistics for several years – 108 cases per 100,000 women (Goel et al., 2020). At the same time, at the moment, the number of cases is approximately equal among both the white, Hispanic and African American population. However, these statistics are insufficient to outline the problem, since they do not affect the social aspect. It turns out that any community that is more affluent has a statistically higher chance of survival.
Despite the fact that researchers highlight the problem of racial discrimination in the medical environment, this problem has yet to be eradicated. The problem is that the poorer segments of the population are more neglectful of their health issues. A later diagnosis or an appointment with a doctor already in the event of a clear change in well-being negatively affects the overall statistics. The Hispanic population of Miami, for example, has a higher death rate from breast cancer than non-Hispanic populations (Goel et al., 2020). The same is true for African Americans, as social barriers prevent health concerns early enough. Also, the problem with the diagnosis of breast cancer is associated not only with racial segregation, but also with the prestige of the occupation. A separate study highlights the difficulties of preventive diagnosis among Miami’s more isolated farmers. The less financially well-off districts of the city present statistics with higher mortality as a result of a combination of social and biological factors. This is how elements of structural racism manifest themselves through this disease in the modern social system.
Healthy People 2020
As part of the Healthy People 2020 program, scientists are trying to find ways to prolong human lives by preventing disease, injury, and premature death. This is the mission of the project, which develops methodologies for preventive measures. The aim of this program is to improve the health of all social groups (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). This is extremely relevant for this research topic, since it is social inequality that is the reason for the high prevalence of the disease in an advanced stage. By erasing financial and class inequality between people, there is an opportunity to significantly improve the life of everyone. As a specific target for the cancer sector, the program affirms the need to reduce the number of diagnosed cases, as well as the amount of suffering, disability, and death caused by cancer. The methods of Healthy People 2020 are the creation of a comfortable social environment that would allow people to exist more healthy (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). This initiative is also reflected in our problem, since it is often the social factor that is the reason for the low survival of certain social strata. Reducing mortality as the main goal of the program is thus possible primarily through social work with the population.
Health Promotion
If the program had specialized breast cancer initiatives, they would have to focus on spreading knowledge about the dangers of this disease and the possibility of preventing it. In Miami, there was a recent experiment in which African-American women showed a propensity to learn more about breast cancer after being invited for a mammogram (Marcus et al., 2019). This proves the usefulness of information campaigns designed to convey to people the importance of monitoring their own health. As statistics show, the low chances of survival are mostly for the lower classes of the population. People with low incomes are required to convey that they can also positively influence their health on their own. Free mammograms and doctor check-ups could, if advertised effectively enough, capture the attention of the required demographics.
In order to really spread awareness about the problem of breast cancer, an information campaign is required that can generate interest in its relevance. A study conducted in Miami, involving women of different ethnicities, clarifies the main ideas and prejudices of women about this disease (Marcus et al., 2022). Knowing the individual reactions and fears of women in the process of mammography and subsequent consultation, it turns out that people rarely show interest in the diagnostic picture of the disease. For the most part, people rely on scraps of information without getting it from the hands of professionals. It is this problem that needs to be addressed as people need to understand the real risks regarding this disease. Incorrect and chaotic ideas of the majority primarily relate to breast density. This problem is associated with excessive feelings and superstitions based on false information, due to which women in Miami can rarely adequately assess whether they have lumps in the breast or not.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is precisely the information campaign and an open invitation to diagnostics that can bring the city closer to fulfilling the goals of Healthy People 2020. If the infrastructure works in such a way that people always know exactly where they can get help, this will have a clear positive impact on the massive picture of epidemiological data. Thus, administrative work to reduce social inequality and explanatory work with the population, while activating the greater availability of diagnostic first-aid posts, will bring Miami closer to achieving the goals of the program.
References
Goel, N., Westrick, A. C., Bailey, Z. D., Hernandez, A., Balise, R. R., Goldfinger, E., Antoni, M. H., Stoler, J., Kesmodel, S. B., & Kobetz, E. N. (2022). Structural racism and breast cancer-specific survival : Impact of economic and racial residential segregation. Annals of Surgery 275(4), 776-783.
Marcus, E. N., Sanders, L. M., Jones, B. A., & Koru-Sengul, T. (2019). A brochure to improve understanding of incomplete mammogram results among black women at a public hospital in Miami, Florida. Southern Medical Journal 112(1), 1-7.
Marcus, E. N., Yepes, M. & Dietz, N. (2022). Perception of breast density information among women in Miami, FL: A qualitative study. Journal of Cancer Education 37, 188–195.
National Center for Health Statistics. (2020). Healthy People 2020.