Cancer Screening: Awareness for Middle-Aged Men Case Study

Prostate Cancer Screening Program in Underserved Communities

Background: Cancer Prevalence and Socio-economic Impact in UK Males

The public health issue in the UK:

The prevalence rate of Cancer in any community or country used to vary in age and gender. The aim of this rationale for the Poster Campaign is to develop a Cancer Screening awareness campaign for the middle-aged male population in underserved communities in the UK. according to a survey carried out by macmillan.org, UK, in 2020 3 million of the population in the country was diagnosed with Cancer, and considering the prevalence rate, in 2030, this figure might reach 4 million, and in 2040, it will increase to 5 million. Considering the statistics in 2020, there were 288,753 new cases of cancer reported in England, and the overall incidence rate of Cancer was 21% higher in men in comparison to the women population (Baker & Mansfield, 2023). More specifically, the incidence rate of cancer among the male population aged 25 years to 59 years is 50% higher than the women population. As per the statistics, 1 percent of the cancer cases are diagnosed among male adults under the age of 20 years, whereas the percentage is 2.7 percent for the male population with the age of 20-34 years and 4.8 percent for the age of 45-54 years (Cancer survival statistics. 2015).

A more striking report is, that in 2021, the number of deaths from cancer was 134,802 in England, whereas the death rate among the middle-aged male population is higher than the female population. As per the statistics, in 2021, the mortality rate for middle-aged males in the UK was 248 per 100,000 population, and this rate is higher than the mortality rate for cardiovascular disorders (Life tables – Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network. 2022). In 2019, new cancer cases in England were 327,200, where the incident rate per 100,000 was 27,300 among the male population of the country. Considering these facts and figures, it can be stated that the Cancer Related Awareness Campaign can increase the concern among the population of the UK, specifically among the male population who come from underserved communities (Baker & Mansfield, 2023).

Socio-economic scenario for the incidence of Cancer among the population:

It is evident that patients living in socio-economically deprived regions tend to have worse cancer outcomes than those who are living in less deprived areas. According to Albertsen, (2020), in England, lack of health literacy rate, lack of education, governmental support, and lack of funding can be considered as the major socio-economic factors related to the high incidence rate of Cancer among the middle-aged male population. Additionally, in England, it was observed that smoking is one of the main causes of preventable cancer and death among the middle-aged male population (Payne et al. 2022). According to the statistics, the incidence rate of all types of cancer in combination across England is 17% higher in the most deprived areas of the country in comparison to the least deprived or underserved communities (Schliemann et al. 2019).

Therefore, the targeted male population of this Campaign will be: 25 years to 54 years male who comes from an underserved community.

The area for the campaign will be Breightmet in Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK. In these specific areas, the majority of the population falls under the Black community and the prevalence rate of Prostate Cancer is quite higher than in any other underserved communities or areas of England.

Political perspectives:

• Policy updates and regular review of the policies are necessary to adapt and implement screening programs to change the circumstances in chosen areas.

Social Perspective:

• Awareness and Education program: for the screening campaign of cancer at Breightmet in Bolton, Greater Manchester, it should be important to make the community people aware of the onset of Prostate Cancer and educate them to avail of Governmental grants, policies, and health care services to minimize the detrimental effect on health and well-being (Schliemann et al. 2019).
• Economic Perspectives: The availability of governmental funding and grants, and proper infrastructure can help the middle-aged male population of the chosen community to get associated with the awareness and screening campaign and live a healthy lifestyle (Gimeno Garcia et al. 2014).

Literature Review: Evaluating the Impact of the "This Van Can" Cancer Screening Initiative in Bolton

In 2023, on August 2, the NHS in collaboration with the UK government took an initiative of mobile cancer check-ups “This Van Can”, and this initiative was taken specifically to screen the cancer, aware and educate the population at Bolton (Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. 2023a). The “This Van Can” roadshow was aimed the black men aged 45 years and over who are at high risk of developing prostate cancer more than other men. In Bolton, one in four black men is vulnerable to developing prostate cancer. This van aimed to provide free Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test (Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. 2023b).

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Finding and impact of the intervention of the Middle Age Male population in Bolton (Black male population, Aged 45 years and above):

The intervention plan of “This Van Can” has provided an in-depth understanding of the rate of incidence of Prostate Cancer among the middle-aged male and Black population in Bolton. Additionally, from this intervention plan, an idea about the factors that contribute majorly to the high prevalence of Prostate cancer among the male population of the chosen community can also be developed, which in turn can strengthen the future intervention plan and outcome of the screening program (Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. 2023a). Additionally, this intervention plan has offered free PSA blood tests, along with free check-ups and on-time screening of prostate cancer, which can raise awareness about the disorders and encourage people to early screening among the population (Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. 2023b). Additionally, this intervention plan can empower the people, specifically those who are at middle age or specifically at the age of 45 years and above to seek the right medical intervention and support by helping them to develop self-confidence level. This intervention plan specifically targeted the demographic who are at the highest risk of developing Prostate cancer, therefore this initiative can provide highlights of the healthcare disparities at Bolton, along with the lack of health promotion and policy intervention from the side of the government. Additionally, with this initiative, the NHS and the government of the UK can increase awareness for Prostate Cancer across the community and country, specifically among the Black population, which can cause the cultural shift towards proactive healthcare-seeking behavior among those people who come from underserved communities (Exarchakou et al. 2022).

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Intervention:

the primary strength of this intervention plan is its targeted approach to addressing the healthcare needs of the black population of underserved communities in England. This intervention plan has offered free PSA blood tests and free screening for Cancer, which in turn has helped the population to develop awareness and concern about the disorder (Schliemann et al. 2019). Additionally partnership between the UK government and NHS can help to strengthen the healthcare policies and service provision in Bolton, through which the black population, specifically those who are susceptible to the development of Prostate cancer can get the scope of early screening of the disorder and treatment on a timely basis. However, this initiative has failed to address the social stigma, cultural beliefs, and stereotypic behavior of the people to access healthcare support. Additionally, the lack of follow-up care for individuals with abnormalities may be considered as the logistic challenge for this intervention plan.

Figure: This Van Can- initiative for early screening of Prostate Cancer in Bolton

The success of the intervention plan for Cancer Screening in Bolton, Great Manchester:

The success of this intervention plan for cancer screening for the middle-aged black male population in Bolton lies in several factors:

• The effectiveness of the initiative to reach out and engage the targeted de, demographic is one of the main factors for the success of this plan (Albertsen, 2020).
• Outreach efforts of this initiative have met the unique needs and preferences of the black male population of Bolton, which utilise culturally sensitive messaging, and communication channels to maximize the rate of participation.
• Additionally, the availability of resources and support systems, government funds, and equality in healthcare service can also be considered as the major factor of success for this intervention plan.

Rationale for Poster: Raising Prostate Cancer Screening Awareness in Bolton

Campaign Topic: Prostate Cancer Screening Awareness among the Middle Aged Men in Bolton

Campaign Goal and Objectives:

The goal of this poster will be to raise awareness about the importance of early screening of prostate cancer, specifically for the male population aged 45 years and above. The objectives of this poster will be:

• To increase the knowledge about prostate cancer and its impact on health
• To educate people about the risk factors related to the prostate cancer
• To provide early screening and free check-up options for the middle-aged male population and make them aware of the importance of early screening for cancer

The targeted Audience of this Campaign: is the Black Male population of Bolton with ages of 25 years to 59 years. this demographic has to be selected as this particular population and the people of this community are more vulnerable to the onset of prostate cancer and face several social, political, and economic barriers to accessing healthcare services.

Communication Objectives and Equity:

The communication goals of poster include the providing clear and accessible information about the onset, and the detrimental effects of Prostate Cancer, and the importance of early screening of cancer. Another important goal of communication is to encourage a sense of responsibility, and empowerment for one's health (Albertsen, 2020). Another goal of communication is to ensure that every man in Bolton, irrespective of background or socioeconomic class, has access to correct information regarding prostate cancer screening and is motivated to take preventative measures to safeguard their health, the campaign seeks to promote equity.

Reaching the desired audience and promoting action:

To prompt the action and reach the desired audiences, the focus way will be a collaboration with health clinics, community centers, local NGOs, and local healthcare service centers of Bolton. Additionally, social media sites can be used to increase the online reach of the campaign. Here community and local governmental support can also be considered as a way to reach the target audiences for screening the cancer as an early intervention.

Key messages of the Poster:

• “Know Your Risks: Prostate cancer affects middle-aged men in Bolton.”
• “Screening Saves Lives: Early detection and screening can improve the outcome.”
• “Take Control of Your Health: Talk to your doctor about the screening of Prostate cancer.”

Importance for the Public Health:

Prostate Cancer Screening awareness is important for Public health assessment because early detection and screening can lead to prompt treatment and improved outcomes. The program aims to improve quality of life and save lives by raising the screening rate of middle-aged men in Bolton and lessening the impact of prostate cancer on families, individuals, and the healthcare system (Schliemann et al. 2019).

Barriers to the Poster, and overcoming the challenges:

The potential barriers of the poster campaign are:

• Limited access to healthcare services or information among the underserved community and population.
• Lack of Governmental reach and funding program.

To overcome these barriers, it should be important to run the campaign by collaborating with local and state-level government, and NGOs, healthcare organizations, to make the screening and early treatment of prostate cancer accessible and culturally viable.

Ethics for the Poster Making: Ensuring Accuracy, Diversity, and Confidentiality

Ethical consideration in poster making involves ensuring that the content of the poster campaign should be accurate, culturally viable, and will be respectful to the values, rights, and dignity of the targeted population. The ethical policy of this poster will prioritise the integrity and diversity of the targeted population. As per the Data Protect Act, of 2018, it should be ensured that the data and information being used in the poster are ethical and that sensitive information is kept confidential (Aggarwal, Ginsburg & Fojo 2014). According to the General Data Protection Regulation, it should be ensured that the data used for the poster are free from any bias or manipulation.

References

• Aggarwal, A., Ginsburg, O., & Fojo, T. (2014). Cancer economics, policy and politics: What informs the debate? Perspectives from the EU, Canada and US. Journal of Cancer Policy, 2(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2014.02.002
• Albertsen, P. C. (2020). Prostate cancer screening and treatment: where have we come from and where are we going?. BJU international, 126(2), 218-224.https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bju.15153
• Baker, C., & Mansfield, Z. (2023). Cancer Statistics: In Brief. Commonslibrary.parliament.uk. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06887/
• Cancer survival statistics. (2015, May 13). Cancer Research UK; CRUK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/survival
• Exarchakou, A., Kipourou, D.-K., Belot, A., & Rachet, B. (2022). Socio-economic inequalities in cancer survival: how do they translate into Number of Life-Years Lost? British Journal of Cancer, PMC9090931, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01720-x
• Gimeno Garcia, A. Z., Hernandez Alvarez Buylla, N., Nicolas-Perez, D., & Quintero, E. (2014). Public awareness of colorectal cancer screening: knowledge, attitudes, and interventions for increasing screening uptake. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2014.https://downloads.hindawi.com/archive/2014/425787.pdf
• Life tables – Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network. (2022). Https://Icon.lshtm.ac.uk/Life-Tables/. https://icon.lshtm.ac.uk/life-tables
• Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. (2023a, July 18). Bury Times. https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/23661092.bolton-nhs-mobile-cancer-check-up-this-van-can-comes-town/
• Mobile cancer check-up van coming to Bolton. (2023b, July 18). The Oldham Times. https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/23661092.bolton-nhs-mobile-cancer-check-up-this-van-can-comes-town/
• Niksic, M., Rachet, B., Warburton, F. G., Wardle, J., Ramirez, A. J., & Forbes, L. J. L. (2015). Cancer symptom awareness and barriers to symptomatic presentation in England-are we clear on cancer? British Journal of Cancer, 113(3), 533–542. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2015.164
• Office for National Statistics. (2015). Cancer Registration Statistics, England - Office for National Statistics. Ons.gov.uk. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/2015
• Payne, N. W. S., Brown, K. F., Delon, C., Kotrotsios, Y., Soerjomataram, I., & Shelton, J. (2022). Socio-economic deprivation and cancer incidence in England: Quantifying the role of smoking. PloS One, 17(9), e0272202. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272202
• Schliemann, D., Su, T. T., Paramasivam, D., Treanor, C., Dahlui, M., Loh, S. Y., & Donnelly, M. (2019). Effectiveness of mass and small media campaigns to improve cancer awareness and screening rates in Asia: a systematic review. Journal of global oncology, 5, 1-20.https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JGO.19.00011