The Role of Poverty in Colon, Rectum, and Anus Cancer Introduction to Medical Sociology Shauna Soule, Cecilia Jones, Kevin Beasley, Faith Goretski

Hypothesis There is a significant relationship between: ●Poverty(Independent Variable - X) ●The 5 Year Mortality Rate of Colon, Rectum, and Anus Cancer (Dependent Variable - Y ) ●So if the level of poverty is higher in a specific county then the corresponding level of mortality rate of colon, rectum, and anus cancer will follow.

Full page of the comparison between our variables.

“Poverty: Percent of individuals with incomes below the poverty level ( )” The areas most affected by poverty lie in the North-East and South-East areas of North Carolina. This correlates with the map depicting the cancer rates, with a lack of consistency in the western areas. This can point to the idea that while the most heavily affected areas tend to be the same, there is not a definite link between poverty rates and cancer mortality for these specific cancers. Poverty in North Carolina

This map represents the rate of cancer. Therefore, it shows the prevalence of Colon, Rectum, and Anus cancer per 100,000 by county. However, by looking strictly at a map that reveals count, you see a cluster in middle of North Carolina, reflecting where the bulk of our population resides. There is a very high rate in the North Eastern area which correlates with the highest areas impoverished in North Carolina. This can be identified on the full page image for the maps. The higher areas affected by these forms of cancer in the western region are not as strongly correlated with poverty. Five year Mortality Rate for Cancer of Colon, Rectum, and Anus

Correlation coefficient (r)= 0.27 >> r-squared= 0.07 >> Regression Equation: y= 0.22x+12.53

Conclusion The strength of the relationship is determined by the correlation coefficient, in which case ours is This is typically considered to be a weak or low, but there are many factors in the case of this data that needs to be looked at. For instance how many people are being recorded. While poverty can be put on a scale based on the population as a whole, the mortality rate of specific cancers are less common. In other words Colon, Rectum, and Anus cancers are not something that is an everyday event or something that all people have to record. There are multiple articles, published with information on many states, that speak on the relation between our two variables. The relation between mortality rates dealing with colon cancers tend to be education and poverty rates. However, low education and poverty rates commonly go hand in hand. The most reliable article comes from cancer.org where they speak on poverty as another carcinogen. It comes from the fact that the people who are impoverished have little education on cancer causing habits and signs that it is occurring within their bodies. The other factor is that preventative care for cancers like colorectal cancer cannot always be afforded, as we know appropriate care and treatment prior to reaching the advanced stages of cancer is crucial. But as we spoke in class, many people who are poor rely on the emergency room, giving them little to no option for preventative practices and care. Taken from the article Poverty is Carcinogenic … with “ early detection and better treatment- we have avoided 898,000 deaths from cancer between 1190 and 2007” (J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, 2011).

Other articles, such as the one published in the North Carolina Medical Journal, speak on how Colorectal cancer is the third killer of all cancer among men and women, responsible for 9% of all cancer deaths. “Whites are significantly more likely to undergo screening than blacks and Latinos. Similarly, blacks and Latinos are up to 60% more likely to be diagnosed with late stage (stage III or IV) colorectal cancer than whites” (Snyder, J., & Foley, K., 2010). Racial disparities in Colorectal cancer screening are partially explained by socioeconomic disparities because people living in areas with lower per capita income are less likely to receive a cancer screening than those living in areas with higher per capita income as noted in the NC Medical Journal. Our group thus concludes with the sources provided and the data comparison utilized through the North Carolina Health Data Explorer the correlation between these two can be seen as strong overall and perhaps a little less so in the state of North Carolina.

Sources North Carolina Health Data Explorer Lichtenfeld, L. Cancer Facts and Figures 2011: Poverty is a Carcinogen. Does Anyone Care?. Retrieved December, 2014 Available: facts-and-figures-2011-poverty-is-a-carcinogen-does-anyone-care.aspx facts-and-figures-2011-poverty-is-a-carcinogen-does-anyone-care.aspx Snyder, J., & Foley, K. (2010, June). Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Stage of Diagnosis among Medicaid-Insured Residents of North Carolina. Retrieved December, 2014 Available: content/uploads/NCMJ/May-Jun-10/SnyderJ.pdfhttp:// content/uploads/NCMJ/May-Jun-10/SnyderJ.pdf