Cancer has for a long time been considered a fatal disease which renders its victims hopeless. Moreover, assumptions identify the illness as one that only affected the wealthy. Contrary to these, the transformation and advancements taking place in the healthcare system have ensured that diseases like cancer can be managed and treated if diagnosed at an early stage (Reddy 2012). It is through the extensive and analytical research, technology, and screening that have aided in the efficiency of cancer management and treatment. On the other hand, while the factors that contribute to cancer development have increased, the condition is not limited to a particular group of individuals. India has a significant population hence the socioeconomic status of its people varies from region to region. As reckoned by Singh, Sharma, and Nagesh (2017), a nation’s health relies on its citizen’s socioeconomic status.
Literature Review
Bhawa Sirohi (2014), indicate that close to one million people are diagnosed with cancer annually in India. The numbers of late diagnosis are higher in rural places and contribute to increased mortality and morbidity. On the other hand, despite the level of literacy in urban dwellers, their busy lives are contributors to late diagnosis of the disease. Fletcher-Brown (2017) affirms this with the rate of breast cancer in Indian women who dwell in urban areas and have emulated western ways of life that have dictated their ability to forgo, Indian culture and engage in a modernized lifestyle. Moreover, Mallath et al. (2014), highlights the fact the health infrastructure in well-developed and has high standards hence can provide quality services to individuals worldwide. On the contrary, the Indian citizens in rural areas have difficulty in accessing the established cancer centers making it difficult for the condition to be treated in time (Kulkarni, Ramesh Masthi & Gangaboraiah, 2013).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Methods
In identifying the relationship between the socioeconomic status of the Indians and the treatment of cancer, various research reports were analyzed to compile the result found. Moreover, interviews were conducted in the cancer centers and society in India to get more information concerning the disparities, challenges and the strengths in of the cancer doctors. The research was also purposed to analyze the most common cancer conditions that keep arising annually, the causes and efforts made to manage it.
Results
The rates of cancer case in India are immense. Reports record close to one million diagnoses of cancer annually. Karim et al. (2016) confirm that with the high numbers of cancer patients, the ratio of oncologists to that of the patients is 1:2000. Despite the advancement in cancer treatment, management and availability of expertise, the rate of the patients is still very high making it difficult for physicians to adequately give individualized care. The distribution of the condition is spread in different regions and unequally between the genders. The conventional cancer conditions are lung, stomach, cancer, and colorectal cancer (Quriesh et al., 2016). Patients in rural and those with a low income per capita succumb to the disease due to the cost of treatment and their inability to cater.
Discussion
The high rate of stomach cancer is majorly caused by the change in diet especially in individuals living in the urban areas with busy lives that can only have very little time for a proper meal. Hence, they’d rather have fast foods and snacks (Dey, 2014). On the other hand, spicy foods are the catalyst to the stomach cancer development. Breast cancer is influenced by the strict culture that hinders Indian women from openly going for check-ups which hinders early detection of the illness and the immense hormonal changes (Rangarajan et al., 2016).
Findings
The illness is distributed to all regions despite the socioeconomic status of each household. While there are specialists who are trained and qualified to handle the arising cancer cases, the number of patients out-weighs the oncologists. The lifestyle change has contributed profoundly to the increase in the cases diagnosed. The condition can be treated when detected early.
Cancer is a condition that has menaced both its victims and their loved ones. With the transformation taking place in the healthcare system, care for cancer patients and treatment has been advanced and made efficiently. Despite the social class differences, the later the diagnosis of the condition the harder its treatment becomes.
References
Dey, S. (2014, May 24). India has 1.8 mn cancer patients but only one oncologist to treat every 2,000 . Retrieved October 25, 2017, from Business Standard: http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/india-has-1-8-mn-cancer-patients-but-only-one-oncologist-to-treat-every-2-000-114052401140_1.html
Flercher-Brown, J. (2017, October 10). Confronting breast cancer is crucial to India’s economic development . Retrieved Octobr 25, 2017, from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/confronting-breast-cancer-is-crucial-to-indias-economic-development-81717
Kulkarni, P., Ramesh Masthi, N., & Gangaboraiah. (2013). An exploratory study on socio economic status scales in a rural and urban setting. Journal Of Family Medicine And Primary Care , 2 (1), 69. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.109952
Mahal, A., Karan, A., Fan, V., & Engelgau, M. (2013). The Economic Burden of Cancers on Indian Households. Plos ONE , 8 (8), e71853. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071853
Mallath, M., Taylor, D., Badwe, R., Rath, G., Shanta, V., & Pramesh, C. et al. (2014). The growing burden of cancer in India: epidemiology and social context. The Lancet Oncology , 15 (6), e205-e212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(14)70115-9
Qurieshi, M., Khan, S., Masoodi, M., Qurieshi, U., Ain, Q., & Jan, Y. et al. (2016). Epidemiology of Cancers in Kashmir, India: An Analysis of Hospital Data. Advances In Preventive Medicine , 2016 , 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/1896761
Rangarajan, B., Shet, T., Wadasadawala, T., Nair, N., Sairam, R., Hingmire, S., & Bajpai, J. (2016). Breast cancer: An overview of published Indian data. South Asian Journal Of Cancer , 5 (3), 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2278-330x.187561
Reddy, P. (2012, June 22). Dealing with the cost of cancer treatment in India: Are patents the problem? Retrieved October 25, 2017, from SpicyIP: https://spicyip.com/2012/06/dealing-with-cost-of-cancer-treatment.html
Sirohi, B. (2014). Cancer care delivery in India at the grassroot level: Improve outcomes. Indian Journal Of Medical And Paediatric Oncology , 35 (3), 187. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0971-5851.142030
