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Have Cancer? You May Want to Move
When someone receives a cancer diagnosis, the first question that often comes to mind is, “How will I beat this?” It turns out that a factor as simple and mundane as where you live could play a role in beating cancer.
Fortunately, those of us in the United States are lucky and receive top care when it comes to cancer treatment. In fact, the U.S. has the best overall survival rates for cancer. But new research shows a cancer survival gap between whites and blacks in America as well as within different regions of the country. The cancer survival rates for prostate cancer can vary 7% between whites and blacks, and up to 14% for breast cancer in the United States. Researchers say the most likely reason for the difference is the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed.
The study looked at about 1.9 million cancer patients in 31 countries and compared the five-year survival rates for breast, colon, prostate and rectal cancers. The study showed—
In the United States:
* New York City has the lowest cancer survival rates in the U.S., except for rectal cancer, where women in Wyoming are worse off.
* Hawaii has the best survival rate for cancer in the United States.
* Idaho has a high survival rate for rectal cancer.
* Seattle has the highest survival rate for prostate cancer.
Internationally:
* Japan has the highest survival rates for colon and rectal cancers among men.
* France has the highest survival rates for colon and rectal cancers among women.
* Sweden has the highest survival rate for breast cancer.
* Austria has the highest survival rate for prostate cancer.
* Poland and Slovakia had among the worst cancer survival rates in Europe.
* Canada and Australia have high survival rates for most cancers.
* Algeria has the lowest survival rates for most cancers among men and women.
Would you be willing to move to a different part of the country—or even a different country—for a better chance at beating cancer? If you've already done so and have seen improvements in your condition, share your experience here. [HealthDay]
