Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer Rates
Prostate Cancer incidence rates are comparable to Breast Cancer rates. Yet, federal funding is significantly higher for Breast Cancer research than for Prostate Cancer. In 2008, there were the same number of new cases of Prostate Cancer (186,320) as Breast Cancer (184,450), as estimated by the American Cancer Society. - In 2007, Breast Cancer received almost two thirds more funding ($127.5 million) from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program as did Prostate Cancer ($80 million dollars) (59.5% difference).
- In 2007, Breast Cancer received more than twice as much funding ($707 million) as did Prostate Cancer ($305 million) from our nation’s medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (231% difference).
Breast and Prostate Cancer scientists should not be made to compete for limited research funding. Scientists must feel encouraged to develop prostate cancer research. Both Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer research funding must continue to grow. Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer patients, equal in number, should receive equal and adequate funding and promotion for research.
1 comment:
In response to your Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer Rates, while it is true at the present time the funding for breast cancer is twice that of prostate, one has to keep in mind several factors.
1. For decades medical research was done on males with the assumption that the physical manifestations of conditions are the same for the female anatomy as the male. In the instance of cardiovascular health, the research conclusions erroneously made the assumption that the onset of heart attacks were the same for women as men, today 30 some odd years later, we now know that women present different symptoms than men. So for many, many years, funding for medical research has primarily benefited men than women.
What you see now with funding for breast cancer at the levels it is currently, is the result of at least 15 years of relentless lobbying of congress, research facilities, etc. As more and more men's lives are adversely affected by the death of a mother, wife, sister, etc. that you see the results in the way of funding.
What I would like to see is this, and this is my opinion after having done quite a bit of research into health issues, prostate in particular is this. Both prostate and breast cancer of cancers of the human reproductive system, and as such I believe they share a lot of the same factors. Maybe more focused research should be done on the similarities of the two cancers, how known and proven treatment methods could be used in some form for both diseases.
However, regardless of what the cancer or disease is, the actual prevention or even cure and yes I believe the cure for cancer is sitting right in front of us staring us in the face and that is proper nutrition.
At the very least, any one facing chemotherapy should have counseling with a certified nutritionist or a certified herbalist to create a supplementation plan or diet that will give the body all of the nutrients it needs to rebuild the immune systems. After all, cancer is caused first by DNA damage and second a compromised immune system.
Thank you for a nice post, and for the opportunity to speak my mind on your forum.
I might not have all the answers but I believe we don't adequately share within the medical and research community all of the information each study finds. There has to be a better way to go about our health care and medical system than what we have now. I think it's back to basics, get back to a simpler lifestyle....but that's a subject for another blog!
Best regards,
Karen
www.ProstatePrincess.com
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