Many organizations in Indiana take a strong stance against cancer year-round! During the month of October, breast cancer awareness is at the forefront of most cancer related organizations. Raising funds, awareness, and helping to spread the educational side of breast cancer is done in a myriad of ways to reach the most people possible. The State of Indiana offers certain facts and statistics about breast cancer, along with numerous signs and symptoms to watch for to ensure early detection for its residents.
The Indiana State Department of Health shares as much information about breast cancer and all other cancers as they can. They provide numerous flyers, printables, handouts, infographics and more to be shared on your own social media platforms throughout the year. Visit their main website to check out these free graphics and read up on information about the local events Indiana has around the entire state to help raise awareness!
Here are the facts of breast cancer and other cancers in Indiana:
- Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in Indiana through the year 2016, with an average of 123 cases diagnosed per one-hundred thousand females in population. Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in Indiana for women.
- Prostate and lung cancers are the most common among men, with an average of 83 cases per one-hundred thousand men in population. Colon cancer is the second most common diagnosed cancer for men in Indiana.
- In 2016 in Indiana, African American people had a three-percent higher incidence of cancer than Caucasian people, and a twenty-percent higher mortality rate.
- In Indiana, approximately forty out of every one-hundred men will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. Thirty-eight out of one-hundred women will also be diagnosed with some form of cancer.
- Roughly 2.4 million Indiana residents, which is about two out of every five people now in Indiana, will be diagnosed with cancer.
- In 2014, there were almost one-hundred-seventy thousand people diagnosed with cancer. Of these people, just over eighty-three thousand were male, and just over eighty-five thousand were female.
- In Indiana, cancer is the second leading cause of death, following heart disease. In 2017, nearly fourteen thousand people died from cancer.
- In 2017, Indiana indirectly spent roughly thirteen billion dollars on cancer related care. By 2023, it is estimated that the direct costs could reach over three billion dollars per year.
- In 2014, only seventy-eight percent of women over age twenty-one had a Pap smear test, or any other preventative tests to detect cancer within the past three years. Seventy percent of women aged fifty to seventy-four did have a mammogram, which is a test that can help detect breast cancer in early stages.
- Approximately sixty percent of people over age fifty met the criteria given by the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for colorectal screening tests.
- The four highest-burden cancers in Indiana are breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer.
- Indiana’s overall cancer survival rate in 2015 was sixty percent. This percentage has steadily increased each year with the advancements in medicine and treatment ability.
Indiana also backs these steps that you can take to prevent and lower your overall risk factors for cancer:
- Test your home for radon.
- Maintain your healthcare coverage and checkups.
- Stay up to date on vaccines.
- Get regular and on-time cancer screenings when you should.
- Watch for any potential signs of cancer including weight loss, fever, fatigue, pain and skin changes. If you notice these signs, check in with your doctor.
- Protect yourself from the sun and avoid indoor tanning beds.
- Become more physically active.
- Avoid red meat and processed food.
- Add whole grains, fruits and vegetables into your diet, including five or more servings per day.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Emphasize plant-based eating whenever you can.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke.
- Avoid risky sexual behaviors that introduce you to possible infections.
How can I get involved in Indiana?
The first step you can take is to join the Indiana Cancer Consortium, or ICC. This statewide network of over one hundred agencies helps to reduce the cancer burden in the state, while linking together many cancer-related organizations. The Indiana State Department of Health is also included within this agency. The ICC helps to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive plans that address cancer across the continuum for prevention and early detection.
Susan G. Koman of Indiana has many events throughout the year, with seven different major events planned throughout the state in 2019 alone. This page is always updated with each year’s plans, so check it out if you would like! https://komencentralindiana.org/
The American Cancer society has numerous events, fundraising opportunities and group events planned in Indiana! You can check into what they have, when, and where each event will be by visiting: https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/resources-list.listing.html/Indiana.html
There are also many sports teams like the Indiana Pacers and Fort Wayne sports teams who have cancer nights and specific events for those who have gone through the battle. Your doctor’s office or local health department can get you most of this information as well.
If you cannot find a local event to suite your needs or how you would like to help, consider starting your own event with your business, family, or group of friends in remembrance of another cancer warrior who lost their battle, or who is currently fighting the good fight. Both websites can help you to create a beneficial, worthwhile event that all can be proud of! The most important part to remember is that the more awareness raised about cancer, the sooner we can get to a cure!
Citations:
American Cancer Society
National Institutes of Health and Human Services
http://indianacancer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Cancer-Factsheet-2017.pdf
Indiana cancer dot org
Susan G. Koman