More US deaths due to cancer than heart if dark skinned – Sept 2012

Publication by American Cancer Society Cancer surpasses heart disease as Hispanics' leading cause of death reported by CBS News Sept 2012

• Data from 2009 CDC
• Death rate due to cancer has been climbing relative to heart in recent times
• Predict that cancer deaths will exceed heart deaths for all US races within a decade
• Hispanics lack health insurance: 31 % uninsured vs 12 % non-Hispanic
• Cancer is also the leading cause of death for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
• Cancer is now the leading killer in 18 states
• Interestingly, none of the states where cancer has overtaken heart disease {for all races} is in the Southwest, which has large Hispanic populations. Instead, most are in the nation's northern tier, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the four states of upper New England.

Cancer has been largest cause of death among African-American women

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Dark Skin and Vitamin D
• All items in Far from Equator 123 items
  • Equator has recently been getting vitamin D deficient diseases - especially in the very hot summer
• All items in category Mortality and Vitamin D 295 items
• All items in Canada and Vitamin D 51 items
• Hypothesis: Blacks get more cancer than whites due to lower levels of vitamin D – June 2012+Full article by Drs Grant and Peiris
• Low UVB is associated with 15 types of Cancer – Jan 2012
• Death rate 2X higher if low vitamin D - 180,000 adults, not just elderly – May 2012
• Cancer patients 64% less likely to die if have high level of vitamin D – Dec 2011
• Dr. Grant on vitamin D and mortality in VitaminDWiki

Accept the Challenge to Reduce Cancer Among Women of Color Sept 2012

Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the Reducing Cancer Among Women of Color App Challenge. The first-of-its-kind challenge calls on entrepreneurs to create an application for mobile devices that can help underserved and minority women prevent cancer. HHS aims to reach women – especially women of color- and their caregivers who might not connect with traditional media sources.

“This app challenge is an example of our work to reduce health disparities, building on the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities,” said Nadine Cracia, M.D., M.S.C.E., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Acting Director of the Office of Minority Health. ”By providing the right information at the right time, mobile apps can help minority and underserved women make informed decisions about their own health and benefit from the recommend preventive services provided at no cost under the health care law.”

The winning app will be judged on its effectiveness in providing relevant and compelling prevention information to the target audience. The first place prize is $85,000. Second and third place winners will receive $10,000 and $5,000 prizes, respectively.

To learn more about the Reducing Cancer Among Women of Color App Challenge, click here: http://1.usa.gov/OXBRCz
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Observations by VitaminDWiki

• Not a word about vitamin D
• The contest wants to use convey the information to women of color
• Can reduce the risk by catching it early ( no thought of preventing it)
• Solution must deal with a variety of Cancers
• Solution should work thru multiple media, and in multiple languages

Following charts are from attached CDC Cancer Facts 2012

History of all female cancer death rates (Only lung cancer is still high)

Death rates of some cancers - vs race

Thyroid and Melanoma rates are increasing - wonder why, wonder how rates vary with race