Del. cancer consortium eyes more physical activity to reduce cancer rates
There was a huge showing at an annual retreat Tuesday hosted by the Delaware Cancer Consortium, aimed at sharing findings on cancer research and reduction.
The consortium was originally formed in March 2001 to advise the governor and legislature on the causes of cancer incidence and mortality.
Richard Killingsworth, chief of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with the Delaware Division of Public Health, says retreats like Tuesday's catalyzes all resources that are currently available.
"From our physical education teachers to our physicians to our public health practitioners to our non-profit organizations like the YMCA, American Heart Association and others…to understand how we work together and promote an environment in all settings," explains Killingsworth.
This year, the retreat focused on the youth and discussing ways to urge children to adopt healthier lifestyles at younger ages.
Dr. James Spellman, a surgical oncologist with Beebe Healthcare, says prevention is far more effective than treatment when it comes to cancer. One way, he says, is through physical activity.
"As a species, we evolved on the savanna's either being chased as foods or chasing our foods and the first thing we do is we put kids in cubicles and tell them to sit down and work out against our evolutionary nature which is run," explains Dr. Spellman.
Spellman says lung cancer, in particular, is prevalent in the First State.
Delaware Health and Social Services reports it accounted for 14.4 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer cases between 2008 and 2012. According to Spellman, physically active people are less likely to engage in behaviors like smoking and unhealthy diets, which are factors the CDC recognizes as risks for lung cancer.
Dr. Irene Cucina, a former president of the Shape America, school-aged children are currently recommended to get at least an hour of physical activity each day; however, she says a policy change is needed in schools across the country.
"They should have physical education everyday…just like math, just like English, it is a core subject," says Dr. Cucina. "These are our future, the kids are our future, and so why would you want our future to look so dismal?"
When asked, Delaware Governor John Carney said he'd be open to implementing more physical activities in the public school systems.
"One of the really challenging things is we've seen more and more young people with what we used to call adult onset diabetes, you know, type two diabetes," says Governor Carney, "That's a very expensive healthcare condition and one that we want to reduce or at least control."
In an effort to detect lung cancer early, Delaware's Division of Public Health launched the Screening for Life Program for qualified Delawareans in 2015. The screening is available for qualified and former smokers deemed at high risk.
