Special Supplement to The Mesa Tribune
HEALTH Winter 2021
WELLNESS Your Local Guide to Better Living
COVID-19 clouds extent of cancer death decline
get specific molecules involved in cancer growth, combined with immunotherapies that help activate the immune system, have been “nothing short of revolutionary” in combating cancer. “Many of these patients who used to have a median survival of less than a year will be alive and free of disease,” Lilen-
baum said. “So, it’s really remarkable how much immunotherapy has impacted the treatment of cancer.” The report said a reduction in smoking is thought to have led to a decline in lung cancer – a driving force behind the falling cancer mortality rate. Despite the downward trend, however, lung cancer accounts for more cancer deaths in Arizona than colorectal, pancreas, prostate and breast cancer. Treatment of lung cancer is most effective in early stages of the disease before it has time to spread. However, signs of lung cancer often surface at an advanced stage of the disease, leading to delays in detection and removing the option of early intervention. “We have not at a national level adopted lung cancer screening as widely as I think health experts and policy experts would hope,” Lilenbaum said. “My sense is that it’s even lower in the state of Arizona.” Arizona ranks 47th in the nation for cancer-related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In recent years, low-dose computed tomography scans, or CT scans, have been shown to improve early detection of lung cancer in high-risk patients, such as
smokers, lowering the risk of dying from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Lilenbaum said if patients “undergo a low-dose CT and are identified as having silent lung cancer, they will live longer than patients that are diagnosed by the time they develop symptoms.” Beyond advanced screening techniques, systemic racial inequities in our healthcare system have created a gap in the cancer death rate among ethnic groups, specifically in the Black community. Today, Black patients “have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group for most cancers,” according to the American Cancer Society. “I think that we’re still working to undo the legacy of that history and it’s an issue that deserves greater attention from health care authorities all over this country,” Lilenbaum said. “It’s not unique to Arizona.” Included in the report, are estimated U.S. cancer trends for 2021. However, the effect of COVID-19 is not included in this year’s prediction. Waves of COVID-19 cases since early 2020 have resulted in a “significant de-
Living classes, including Geri-Fit exercise classes and other behavior change courses like chronic disease self-management, living life with chronic pain and diabetes self-management. This February and March, the agency will virtually offer the Aging Mastery Program. Developed by the National Council on Aging, The Aging Mastery Program is a 10-week course that explores topics like fall prevention, nutrition, exercise, medica-
tion management, financial management, emotional health and life care planning. The class is taught by subject-matter experts. Participants receive a workbook and other supplemental materials. “The Aging Mastery Program is great because it is so comprehensive,” said Rose Leyba, the agency’s health promotion coordinator. “It doesn’t just focus on one area like physical health or fall prevention but covers a variety of topics that are important
to older adults as they plan for the future.” If you are interested in participating in the Aging Mastery Program, call 602-2415562 for information and to register. For information on all the classes the Area Agency is offering, call the 24-hour senior help line at 602-264-4357 or visit the website at aaaphx.org. Melissa Elliott, MSW is vice president of programs & services for the Area Agency on Aging, Region One.
BY KEVIN PIREHPOUR Tribune Contributor
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new study from the American Cancer Society finds that the U.S. mortality rate for cancer – the second leading cause of death in Arizona – has been declining for nearly three decades, with record-breaking declines in the most recent two reported years. The study found a 31 percent decline in the cancer death rate nationwide from 1991 to 2018, with a record single-year decline of 2.4 percent from 2017 to 2018, topping the previous years’ record 2.2 percent decline in cancer deaths. The decline is a testament to a widespread reduction in smoking, advances in early detection and new therapy options available for some forms of cancer. However, the report said it’s unclear how COVID-19 will affect the longstanding decline. “We’ve come a long way just in the past decade or so in terms of novel treatments, even when [patients] present with an advanced stage of the disease,” said Dr. Rogerio Lilenbaum, director of the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert. According to Lilenbaum, drugs that tar-
Dr. Rogerio Lilenbaum is director of the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert. (Special to the Tribune)
Taking small steps for lifelong rewards BY MELISSA ELLIOTT, MSW Guest Writer
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taying engaged, socially connected and finding meaningful programs to participate in over the last year has been challenging for everyone—but especially for seniors who can be vulnerable and isolated. The Area Agency on Aging has adapted to offer virtual versions of its Health
see CANCER page 24