Epidemiology and Patterns of Cancer in Sydney

Question: Discuss the aims and objectives, background and rationale, anticipated outcomes and significance. Answer: Aims and objectives The research proposal aims at understanding the patterns of different types of cancer in Sydney, which is one of Australias largest cities. The main research objectives will be to assess: the common types of cancer in Sydney and probable causes, the age-groups affected, and the challenges faced. Background and Rationale Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can be simply defined as chronic diseases that cannot be transmitted from one person to another (WHO, 2015). Some of the common non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Ghaffer et al. 2004, p. 807). NCDs can affect any individual irrespective of age groups and display a slow progression (WHO, 2015). Risk factors such as diet, physical activity, tobacco consumption, and environmental pollution serve as pathways for epidemiological analyses of NCDs (Ghaffer et al. 2004, p. 807). NCDs cause approximately 60% deaths and 47% burden of diseases worldwide (Ghaffer et al. 2004, p. 807). Among the global incidents of non-communicable diseases, nearly 3/4th is recorded to occur in low- and middle-income groups worldwide. In some countries, high-income groups are also affected, but they gain easy access to treatment as compared to low-income groups (WHO, 2015). Chronic non-communicable diseases (CNDCs) are diseases that can impact people for prolonged durations and which do not have a causative agent or pathogen that gets transmitted from one patient to the other (Daar et al. 2007, pp.494-495). The CNCDs include: cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and type 2 diabetes; they account for nearly 44% premature deaths and a large proportion of disabilities worldwide (Daar et al. 2007). Cancer is common among children and its etiological factors can be evaluated by a descriptive epidemiology. Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) can greatly affect adults aged 55years and above and the overall increased incidents of NMSC have been linked to the rise in population. NMSC involves high treatment costs, thus increasing the economic burden of a country (Staples et al. 2002). Globally, Australia has the maximum number of cases affected by NMSC (Staples et al. 2002). Colorectal cancer is the next common type of cancer in Australia after NMSC. In Australia, cases of HPV (human papiloma virus)-associated cancers showed a marked rise between the years 1982 and 2005 (Hocking et al. 2011). Childhood cancer forms a small percentile of the total cases of cancer; however, establishing registries of incidents of childhood cancer enables evaluating the epidemiology of the cancers; the examination of survival rates and clinical features being feasible due to the small number of cases. The Australian Pediatric Cancer Register (APCR) was developed in the year 1977 to supply relevant information on the episodes of childhood cancer in Australia (Mcwhirter et al., 1996). Immune suppression following kidney transplantation can lead to an elevated risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Diet and nutrition have been associated with different types of cancer (Brennan et al. 2010, p.1294). For example, excess alcohol intake has been linked to increased risk of cancer including breast cancer (Brennan et al. 2010, p.1294). CNCDs can be avoided by preventing smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, and using pharmaceuticals (Daar et al. 2007). A prudent or healthy diet can reduce the risk of breast cancer (Brennan et al. 2010). If precautions are not taken, there can be increased incidents of people affected by CNCDs (Daar et al. 2007). Research plan The proposed study will focus on understanding the distribution patterns and personal characteristics such as age and gender of people affected by cancer in Sydney, Australia. It will be conducted in selected zones of Sydney and the average of the data collected will yield a conclusion for the analysis. The zones will be decided in a way that enables interpretation of the cancer cases in Sydney. If surveys alone are used to gather information, the data may be limited. So, a combination of surveys and data obtained from major cancer hospitals will be used for this research to get an idea of the trends in cancer and its types in Sydney. Surveys will be obtained by face-to-face interviews and information with respect to age, gender, location, number of cancer incidents, and type of cancer will be recorded. Hospital data in each zone will be obtained by checking their average records for the last three years and for surveys, patients will be interviewed based on the principal of random sampling to record people affected by cancer. Nearly 10 interviews per zone would be sufficient to gather brief data. Statistical ratios and Poisson random variable will be applied for analyzing the data. A similar approach was applied by other researchers in the past and it proved to be successful. Anticipated Outcomes and Significance The outcome of the proposed research will provide information regarding proportion, age, and gender of people suffering from cancer and enable identification of the type/s of cancer which commonly affects individuals in Sydney. Cancer, a non-communicable disease, is largely impacting people around the globe with mortality and morbidity. Since certain lifestyle changes can prevent cancer, it is important to understand the extent to which a country or region is affected by cancer, so that relevant precautions and education about the measures that can prevent cancer can be spread. Collecting information from different areas in Sydney will allow to obtain an insight into the distribution patterns of cancer and assess if any geographic factors or produce from a particular area can increase the risk to any cancer. Proposed Timeline The proposed method is designed with a view to complete the project within a period of three to six months. If the time frame is longer, the proposed study will be extended to other regions of Australia to gather a more holistic data. Bibliography Brennan, S. F., (2010), Dietary Patterns And Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Am J Clin Nutr., 91, 12941302. Daar, et al. (2007). Grand Challenges In Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases, Nature, 450. English, D., (2012). Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Australia, The Medical journal of Australia. Ghaffar, A., et al., (2004). Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in South Asia. BMJ, 328. Hocking, J. S., et al., (2011). Head and Neck Cancer In Australia Between 1982 And 2005 Show Increasing Incidence Of Potentially HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancers, British Journal of Cancer, 104, 886 891. McWhirter, W. R., et al., (1996). Childhood Cancer Incidence in Australia, 19821991, International Journal of Cancer, 65, 34-38. Staples, , M. et al., (2006). Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer In Australia: The 2002 National Survey And Trends Since 1985, Medical Journal of Australia, 184(1), 6-10. Who, (2015), Noncommunicable Diseases, Available at https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/