This paper aims to study why poor people are often diagnosed with late-stage cancer. The researcher used secondary sources of data and discovered the reasons as thoroughly discussed in the paper. Unemployment was the first challenge facing late diagnosis in socioeconomically deprived communities. Inadequate education was the second as many people in these societies barely have access to information highlighting cancer instances and their symptoms. Lack of insurance coverage was the third reason that makes an individual have a late diagnosis, making it challenging for them to access even the tests required for diagnosis.
Another reason found was that many people living in these socioeconomically deprived communities have substandard housing that exposes them to cancer—for example, asbestos from poor insulation and radon from structural deficits in the basement. Finally, chronic malnutrition caused by substance abuse and poor diets was the last reason discussed in this paper as a late diagnosis.
Poverty figures are a way of calculating how bad things are financial. In 2018, nearly 38.1 million people, or 11.8% of the population, in the United States had incomes below the official definition of poverty (Dalaker, 2019). The United States’ official definition of poverty is on dollar sums known as poverty rates, which differ depending on the size of the family and the members’ ages. Poverty is a family’s income falling below its respective income thresholds. Cancer has been the worst menace facing the earth and is slowly killing people every day.
Therefore, measures are put in place to ensure that cancer is detected early and treated, ensuring survival in the patients. Regular screening of the different types of cancer is recommended, for example, mammography for breast cancer, Pap test for cervical cancer, colonoscopy for colon cancer, and digital rectum examination for prostate cancer (Open Stax college., 2015). All these tests require money or for the individual to have a medical insurance cover for them to be processed. All this brings us to the question in focus, why do poor people get diagnosed with late-stage cancer?
A person employed by either the government or private sector rushes to get a medical check-up once they feel uncertainty about any part of their body. However, this is different for a person with no regular source of income. A person living in survival mode or surviving on the breadline will have no time to pay attention to the irregular lump on the breast or pain in the stomach. They are focused on finding income to sustain themselves and their families, not to mention the massive bills faced by everyday Americans.
A poor person is unlikely to have a medical insurance cover that caters to their health. This person barely has enough to sustain themselves, so where will they get money for insurance? Healthcare in the US is already expensive (Open Stax college, 2015), and tests required to detect cancer also cause a dent in the pocket, making it difficult for a poor person to go for it. You will find that someone will live with a lump inside the breast- as alarming as it is, but they cannot get scanned because of financial constraints.
Poor people have minimal access to education because of a lack of financial resources. A person who grew up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area is less likely to know of the cancer awareness campaigns that advocate for screening to detect, treat and ensure survival for cancer patients. Therefore, a person may live without knowing that the painless lump in their breast could signify breast cancer. Thus, when breast cancer progresses, it is recommended that a woman undergo a mastectomy as soon as possible after being diagnosed.
Substandard housing is also a cause of late detection of cancer. A house with deteriorating insulation causes asbestos exposure which is likely to cause lung cancer. Radon exposure, which is frequently the result of structural deficits in the basements, can cause lung cancer. A person exposed to such conditions over a long time may develop chronic symptoms, and by the time of diagnosis, it is usually too late.
Chronic malnutrition is another factor that makes poor people have a late diagnosis of cancer. People may be living with cancer, but they are not aware of how exposed they are due to the above-stated reasons. Lack of enough calories and nutrients like minerals and vitamins may accelerate the symptoms making them drained and with no energy – this could delay the treatment required to fight cancer. Substance and alcohol abuse is a significant source of malnutrition. Depending on these substances can affect appetite or how the body should absorb and process foods. The particular usage of substances such as smoking nicotine increases lung and throat cancer. Therefore, malnutrition sometimes associated with smoking accelerates cancer symptoms, hence diagnosed at a later stage.
These sources cited have directly addressed the problem question and insight into socioeconomic disparity and exposure to cancer. Cancer is a fatal illness that has both physical and emotional consequences for its victims. Cancer treatment involves using a straightforward operation that takes a couple of days or a lifetime struggle that leaves a person tired and sad. Just like the articles addressed, cancer may instill fear in anyone’s eyes and devastate even the most resilient individuals.
Still, it can also bring out the bravery in an individual to battle the disease and not give up. It can be a life-threatening illness, but it can also bring out a person’s inner power, which is a beautiful thing. Since the situation is sad and depressing, and many people will always live under these critical conditions, cancer awareness needs to be spread throughout these socioeconomically deprived areas to make your safety a priority. I concur with the article that the government should also entail that all citizens live under safe and suitable conditions to avert exposure to cancer unknowingly.
References
Griffiths, H., Strayer, E., & Cody-Rydzewski, S. (2015). Introduction to sociology 2e (2nd ed., pp. 429-436). OpenStax College.
Dalaker, J. (2019). Poverty in the United States in 2018: In brief. Web.