ONS Connect - October 2008 - (Page 9)

women, and 51.1% for prostate cancer. Algeria, the only African country studied, scored the worst for all types of cancers. The results closely mirrored the amount each country was spending on health during the period. The United States led the way with more than 13% of the gross domestic product spent on health. Canada, Australia, and the best-performing European nations spent about 9%–10%, and Algeria spent around 4%. The importance of money was further illustrated by an ethnic breakdown of outcomes in the United States. White Americans, who are, on the whole, wealthier and therefore more able to afford insurance, were up to 14% more likely than other Americans to survive cancer. Coleman, M.P., Quaresma, M., Berrino, F., Lutz, J.M., De Angelis, R., Capocaccia, R., et al. (2008). Cancer survival in five continents: A worldwide population-based study (CONCORD). Lancet Oncology, 9(8), 730–756. not saving lives, but until studies identify the effectiveness of screening on decreasing prostate cancer mortality, its role will be unclear. By 2001, nearly 60% of U.S. men older than 50 said they had undergone the test in the previous 12 months. In contrast, from 1999–2002, an estimated 6% of U.K. men aged 45–84 had been tested. At the beginning of 1992, mortality rates for the two countries were similar. But after this period, the U.S. rate of decline was 4.7% per year compared to the U.K. rate of 1.14% per year. Other changes were occurring in the treatment of U.S. men with prostate cancer, the researchers noted, including the use of hormone treatment in older men and more aggressive treatment for advanced forms of the disease. Collin, S.M., Martin, R.M., Metcalfe, C., Gunnell, D., Albertsen, P.C., Neal, D., et al. (2008). Prostate-cancer mortality in the USA and UK in 1975–2004: An ecological study. Lancet Oncology, 9(5), 445–452. prostate Screening may Not Decrease Cancer mortality he prostate cancer death rate in the United States has fallen since screening became more common, but that does not prove such tests are needed, a recent study argues. Since screening became widespread in the United States, mortality rates have fallen four times more than they have in the United Kingdom, where routine screening is not recommended. But the researchers said that many other factors could be involved, such as different treatment programs for U.S. men and discrepancies in how deaths are reported. This does not mean that screening based on serum prostate-specific antigen tests is T a small but consistent risk of bladder cancer in male hairdressers and barbers. The group considered these data as evidence of carcinogenicity and reaffirmed occupational exposures of hairdressers and barbers to hair dyes as probably carcinogenic to humans. Hair dyes belong to the group of organic molecules known as aromatic amines. They work by combining two chemical agents that bind to form the dye molecule. Dark dyes tend to contain the highest concentrations of these coloring ingredients. The group also reviewed the epidemiologic studies on the personal use of hair dyes, but the evidence was not adequate for a definitive conclusion about such treatments. Baan, R., Straif, K., Grosse, Y., Secretan, B., Ghissassi, F.E., Bouvard, V., et al. (2008). Carcinogenicity of some aromatic amines, organic dyes, and related exposures. Lancet Oncology, 9(4), 322–323. Hairdressers and Barbers may Have a Higher Risk of Cancer ork as a hairdresser or barber has been confirmed as a potential carcinogenic influence, according to a recent report. The report indicated that many new epidemiologic studies on cancer in hairdressers, beauticians, and barbers have been published since 1993 that indicate W Contributing Editor Deborah McBride, RN, MSN, CPON ®, is a nurse at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and a faculty member at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, CA. OctOber 2008 ONS CONNECT 9

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ONS Connect- October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Up Front You Tell Us Up Close &�Professional Web Connect Five-Minute In-Service Capitol Connection Caregiver Care Straight Talk New Treatments, New Hope Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - October 2008

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