As noted on their website, Public Health is committed to bringing today’s most pressing local, national and global health issues to the forefront of public discourse.
Simmons Hanly Conroy and Public Health agree that one of those most pressing health issues is cancer, specifically preventable cancer. Because treating cancer can be an immense physical, emotional and financial challenge, the best approach we can take in dealing with cancer is to prevent it altogether. In fact, the World Health Organization states that at least one-third of cancers are preventable.
As demonstrated in Public Health’s guide and short animated video, “Cancer in America,” the global cancer rate is expected to hit 25 million a year over the next 20 years – that’s a 70 percent increase. Most surprising, is that of those 25 million cases, 23.8 million could be prevented by simple lifestyle changes.
While not mentioned in the guide and short video, asbestos-related diseases are part of the fully preventable cancer group. According to the World Health Organization, over 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, which are fully preventable.
Asbestos is one of the most widespread carcinogens in the world, and while people mainly contract asbestos-related diseases through occupational exposure, exposure can also occur in settings such as homes and schools. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and there are less hazardous substitutes for asbestos that we could be using. More than 50 countries have already banned asbestos use and others would be wise to follow.
Together with Public Health, Simmons Hanly Conroy advocates increasing the amount of attention given to cancers for which avoidable exposures play a determining role in diagnosis. To learn more about asbestos exposure and prevention, click here.
