Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Maine and is killing Mainers at a higher rate than elsewhere in the country.
Cancer was responsible for about a quarter of all deaths in Maine, or 3,100 fatalities, in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available.
Because Maine’s population is more than 90 percent white and cancer rates vary by ethnicity, the Maine Annual Cancer report for 2012 compared Maine’s death rate from cancer to the rate for whites nationally. In Maine, the age-adjusted mortality rate from all forms of malignant cancer was 186.3, compared with 174.9 among whites nationally.
“We believe a lot of it has to do with lifestyle and a lot of geographic barriers to health care in the upper part of the state,” said Dr. Sheila Pinette, state health officer. “People not eating healthy or taking care of themselves and smoking.”
The report identifies female breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers as the top four cancers in Maine.
Cancer emerged as a leading cause of death in 2004, and overtook heart disease as medical interventions for cardiovascular problems, such as surgeries and medications for high blood pressure, advanced and kept people alive longer, Pinette said.
Heart disease was responsible for 21 percent of all deaths in Maine in 2009, followed by chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and unintentional injury, which includes car accidents, poisonings and drug overdoses. A catchall category of “all other causes,” accounted for 30 percent of all deaths.
Maine will record an estimated 9,000 new cases of cancer in 2012, including 1,340 new cases of lung cancer and 1,170 new cases of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Maine’s cancer incidence rate is high in part due to our aging population,” said Cheryl Tucker, state vice president of health initiatives for the American Cancer Society. Maine is one of just seven states where the median age is over 40, she said.
But while age is a factor in Mainers developing cancer, 75-85 percent of all cancer diagnoses stem from preventable risk factors such as smoking, diet, exercise, obesity and sun exposure, Tucker said.
Both Tucker and Pinette stressed healthy habits and regular screenings as key to cancer prevention and detection.
“The earlier you catch cancer — breast and prostate and lung — the better your survival rate will be,” Pinette said. “Colon cancer is a preventable cancer.”
People should be screened for colon cancer at age 50, she said.
A healthy diet and exercise haven’t been shown to directly guard against some forms of cancer, but are believed to play a role, Pinette said.
Regular visits with a primary care doctor are key in the fight against the disease, she said.
“If you’re having signs and symptoms, especially of cancer, you have to make sure that you’re going in and talking to your physician,” Pinette said.
Maine has one of the most flawed health systems and health professionals that Ive ever had the misfortune to have to deal with.There are a few amazingly wonderful nurses and Dr.s,but the mediocre or just plain BAD ones,far far out shine the good ones. Sad but true.
Sad, but you are right. I am originally from Boston where health care providers actually compete for patients, and thus, health care dollars. Boston is a city with multiple teaching facilities that can attract the cream of the crop.
In rural Maine, one has to wait, often, weeks for an appointment, then more appointments are made for routine x-rays and blood work that is done on a walk in basis in the larger cities.
As much as I do not like the litigation that can occur surrounding medical care, Maine has laws making it difficult to file a malpractice suit. This has the negative effect of protecting mediocre or bad doctors. It does allow the state to try to attract doctors to the area, but those whom we would like to see go, are protected by these laws. I think these laws should be modified, but perhaps not done away with.
More and better education on how important diet and healthy choices are would be important, too. Making screening tests accessible to everyone would help the state lower its numbers, but with the current economy, many cannot afford the screenings.
Your comments are very general,… “Many cannot afford the screenings, “Maine has laws making it difficult to file a malpractice suit”, “In rural Maine, one has to wait, often, weeks for an appointment”.
Would you mind offering specifics? Thanks!
Most of my comments are my own experience and what I have read. I am sure you can google the laws as well as I.
I did try to file a malpractice suit and despite the mountains of emotional hurt for my whole family, I was told, without a dollar amount to the damage, there was no case. My late husband was discharged from a hospital with a closed head injury, no stitches to a laceration on his head, and behavior that was clearly deranged. He attempted to hurt me while injured. He woke up in police station having no idea how he got there, why he was there, or even what city he was in. He thought he was in Massachusetts and had no idea where the city was that we had moved to six months before. Fortunately that officer realized how disoriented my husband was and returned him to the hospital where he was admitted and treated properly. The DA agreed to drop the charges after hearing what actually took place that night. However, because I was able to restrain my husband and not be injured, I had no damages. I was told a lawsuit in this state is very difficult to file because of the process and even more difficult to win.
Again the waiting weeks for appointments is personal experience. I have been told to go to the ER for problems that are not appropriate for ER treatment or wait a couple of weeks to see my doctor. It is even worse to see a specialist. We waited weeks for an appointment for my husband to have a biopsy on his lung only to find he had an active infection not a tumor. We had to wait to go back to the referring physician to get another round of antibiotics as recommended by the specialist at EMMC who was going to do the biopsy.
We live in Washington County. My family does not have health care insurance, is not eligible for MaineCare because my Social Security disability is too much. In the winter, I have to cut corners on groceries to heat our home. My disability, along with most paid incomes, have not kept pace with the price of home heating oil, which is now over four dollars a gallon, or a thousand or more for a full tank. Most of the families I know here are uninsured or underinsured, have large co-pays, etc. and thus cannot afford the cost of screening tests.
True especially at hospitals like Pen Bay in Rockport..The line “Pen Bay , where old folks go to die” didn’t invent itself…When I worked construction we always said , I’ld rather bleed to death going to Bangor or Belfast than stop at Pen Bay for a reason…..A big part of the problem is Maine’s tax laws and nothing to draw the the younger doctors with their cutting edge technology and practices…Quality of place crap doesn’t cut it..That and no money to be made due to everyone that is on Mainecare or medicare and not getting paid in a timely fashion by the state thanks to Baldi and the Dems…How many times do you see “No New Mainecare Patients” in doctors offices?? I have seen a few..Nothing happens in a vaccum and there are consequences for our policies of build nothing anywhere near anything , we can get by with our quality of place crap…This is but one of them..Couple that with having the oldest population with a disproportionate number of folks over 65 and here we are..We have made our bed , now we must sleep in it…
Thats an interesting take on it,Midcoast.We DO have the oldest population,and I wonder if that was at all considered in the poll? Very interesting.Oh and By the way,Belfast?You might just as well not even bother to stop.Especially in the E.R.God forbid its on a night that a favorite show is on,or someone might be having to pick out a prom dress for their daughter.Ive seen people rolling in pain,while the ER nurses{at night}peruse through magazines.I just cant fathom it…What about the new hospital n Augusta that is about to open up? Think that will be any better?Heres hoping it will!:)
WELL SAID, midcoastconservative! FINALLY someone with a brain up here! Was beginning to wonder if anyone like you EXISTED around here!
Purchasing alcohol, cigarettes & junk food with EBT cards doesn’t exactly help matters. Poor health can be cured or improved if an individual so desires. Sad but true.
Maybe true with some other diseases, but cancer doesn’t discriminate. Even nonsmokers can get lung cancer, otherwise perfect newborns, runners, health nuts, sloths…it’s an evil horrible disease.
:(
Most people who get lung cancer DO NOT smoke.
Now, that said; poverty is the leading cause of death in Maine, and now in most states. I have known more than a few people who died from cancer who might have had a fighting chance if they had access to regular health care. But when you don’t have any money or insurance the tendency is to wait. Sadly many wait until it is too late; until they are so ill that they must be hospitalized and the cancer had already spread.
Someone please explain to me why we are the only industrialized nation without universal health care system. It is unacceptable.
Data please on “most people who get lung cancer do not smoke”. Too many non-smokers get lung cancer but, like most cancers, there are several different kinds.
There’s a difference between “do not” and “did not”. I just googled it and saw that between 10-15% of lung cancer is in non-smokers.
I agree with you about universal health care. Yes, it would be expensive but we’d spend less and save more American lives than we currently do fighting in the Middle East. 9/11 could happen every single year and we’d still come out ahead … sad but true.
All states have a catastrophic illness program where you can get financial assistance if you have a catastrophic illness such as cancer. There is no excuse for not getting medical care in a life threatening situation. You can also call around or ask hospitals if there are any other programs available. If you have cancer you will not be denied medical care. In addition, if you have an illness that is expected to last at least a year or result in death, apply for Social Security disability and get on Medicare.
Once again, there is NO excuse to not get treated for cancer, it may take some effort on your part but isn’t your life worth it?
By the time the illness is “catastropic” it is often too late for effective treatment.
Screenings and regular check-ups save lives.
Not so! The minute you have a cancer diagnosis and the doctor has determined you need treatment you are eligible for it and if it’s caught early it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Getting to the doctor originally is up to you, take personal responsibility when you have symptoms.
Phoebe53, not in ALL types of cancers. Many of the cancers have symptoms when it’s TOO LATE. Many people once the symptoms show up, it’s too late. All of my family members have passed away from cancer up here and when they got symptoms and had it checked out right away, it was always a fast-moving invasive cancer and at Stage 4. One of my relatives even was gone in less than a month’s time from the time she found out she had cancer…from a headache, etc and was rushed to Portland that same day and that’s ONLY cause she worked at one of the hospitals. The so-called *hospitals* up here are run by idiots so it’s no wonder why so many people end up dying from it, especially at Pen Bay. People dying of cancer, that is the case mostly up here…read all the obits. You can’t tell me EVERYONE is not taking care of their health and regardless it doesn’t always end up cancer. There are FAR too many cases up here and someone should be doing some research as to WHY. Down in the south, you have a fighting chance…you don’t see so many people with all these cancers and most of them are treatable. Heck, I saw more dying of Diabetes or Heart Disease than cancer. I don’t care WHAT anyone says, I believe the source of much of your problems is in the water and shellfish…from decades of dumping chemicals and waste into your waterways. All of your main water sources are FULL of it!
And how do you do that if you have no money…pray tell?
If you have symptoms that are serious, you mean to tell me that you can’t find $50 to go to a doctor? If you’re that poor why aren’t you on medicaid of MaineCare? Yeah, Yeah, I know they’re cutting MaineCare, always an excuse, that’s where personal responsibility comes in.
If I thought I was seriously ill I would find the money, breathing is way too important to me, I would give up a luxury, like power, the internet, cell phone, cable tv, in order to get medical care.
You gotta be a Romney supporter.
I have worked for a living all my life. Never taken a dime I didn’t work for from ANYONE save my parents. I have been too “poor” to go to the doctors many times. Luckily for me the symptoms abated, and life went on.
In the real world, “getting the money” may not be that easy for some folks. My concerns in the past have included school clothing for my children, food for the table, the light bill, the heating bill, the insurance bills (Car home and life in case I died before my children were grown) taxes for the property my home sits on, car payments so I can get my children to the doctor, and purchase food (stores don’t deliver down here)
By the way, my doctor charges $140 per office visit. I used to go to the local Health Care clinic, but their doctor left and so I’m stuck with private practice. Not many choices in this neck of the woods.
Maybe you should shut off Fox for a few minutes and look around. Life out here in reality-land sure isn’t like you describe it.
Seriously????
As far as who I support, I support myself and whatever candidate is best for me and the country as a whole. Let me put it to you this way, I’m not an Obama supporter and I don’t have cable so I don’t watch Fox News.
I have had those exact concerns myself, mine were as a single parent. with no child support or emotional support. I have had challenges all my life but overcome them with a combination of sheer will and by the grace of God. My husband is battling a serious illness right now, fortunately, as a veteran, he has the VA and I have my share of physical maladies but we get by.
We can afford cable but don’t have it because it’s a frivolous expenditure, we save $70 a month which is half of what your doctors visit costs. Do you have cable?
Let me give you an example of what frivolous spending is. My neighbors, young married couple with 3 school aged children, they bought my daughters house a year ago and are $5000.00 behind on payments, in the meantime the husband has cashed in his 401 and they have bought a swimming pool, a four wheeler and put in a basketball court for their son. The husband was just notified that the plant he works at is closing up shop in two years but he keeps buying frivolous things, video games, smart phones for themselves and each of the kids, ect. They are currently on food stamps and the kids are on Medicaid.
My husband is self employed and has had very little work the past 6 months but we’re not out begging, not yet anyway. We live within our means, our newest vehicle is a 2000 model, we live in a cabin type little house that we built ourselves as we could afford it, on land we paid off quickly by paying more when we had it, our cell phones are old fashioned flip phones, only mine has texting capability, the minimum.
Now I’m not dissing poor people, Lord knows I’m not exactly rich, not
even middle class by todays standards but I put a few dollars away for
those necessary things like doctors, I don’t go out and buy a bunch of
crap when I have a few extra dollars. I learned a long time ago that
poo happens when you least expect it and you should prepare for it,
whatever and however you have the capability for.
…and all this allows me to rearrange my budget to afford a Doctor’s visit how?
By your account you have done a fairly good job of running your life. It sounds like it is probably pretty tough.
Everyone is not you, one size does not fit all. and my life and income vs expenditures was far different than yours.
Your origional point was that everyone should be able to afford a doctor’s visit.. You have proven you can. that is all you have proven.
I’ve actually done a pretty crappy job of running my life but when life hands you lemons, well…you know the rest.
Why do you think you had expenditures that I didn’t have?
I don’t pretend that one size fits all but c’mon now, there are certainly things a person can give up if need be. If you’re that poor that you have nothing to give up then you should be eligible for welfare and medical.
Nearly everyone has a cellphone now and if they don’t have one they can get a free one thru Obama’s free cellphone plan. A land line is much cheaper but it’s not modern enough for spoiled people, they have to have that connection 24/7.
I’m making a guess here that you have a cellphone, the internet and cable, am I wrong?
I think I’ve proven my point for those that care to get it, you have to prioritize.
Actually the time in my life when I was poor has past.
I choose not to take public funds. I believe I should pay my own way in life. I did (reluctantly) take food stamps (way back when they were stamps) briefly for the sake of my kids. I also enrolled them in a children’s health-care collective which was available before Maine Care. It did not cover me, just the children.
After the boys started school, I did too. I took out student loans (all paid off now) and got my degree and went to work. My job provided health care for me an my children.
I made choices which worked out for me, but I still think it is rather high-handed of you to suggest that you know what other people can afford.
Alcohol is not a carcinogen.
In studies done it was announced earlier this year that alcohol is the leading
cause of cancer.The study was done in Sweden.
It may not be considered a carcinogen but no less dangerous
and the link to that?
Msn.com
Don’t believe that. In and of itself, maybe not, but those who imbibe regularly or perhaps overdo it, cause so much damage to the digestive system and liver, that many do see cancers starting in the areas of existing injury. Alcohol is capable of damage at the cellular level where cancer usually starts.
Nah there’s no welfare or junk food in Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, or West Virginia.
true true true you get better care in boston
My sister had regular checkups with her doctor and at age 54 the doctor told her it was getting time to have a colonoscopy, at that time they were recommending screening at 55. The doctor set her up with an appointment for a week later, she never made that appt because she ended up going to the hospital by ambulance before she could do it, the diagnosis was stage 4 colon cancer.
She was advised by Cancer Center of Maine in Bangor that she only had up to 2 months to live and that nothing could be done for her. I took her to Brigham Woman’s Hospital in Boston, the doctor there said Cancer Center of Maine were idiots, not his exact words but meant the same, that she had much longer than 2 months. We then called Duke Hospital in North Carolina, they accepted her as a patient and she moved in with my brother in South Carolina. Within the next 5, yes you read it correctly, 5 FIVE years, she had moved to Jacksonville, Florida near her sons and was treated at the Mayo Clinic.
The moral of the story is, don’t believe what Cancer Center of Maine tells you, always get a 2nd opinion and a 3rd if necessary. When they say screenings should be done at age 50, it takes 10 years for colon cancer to progress to stage 4, since my sister was only 54 when diagnosed stage 4 which means she should have been screened at age 44.
Colon Cancer runs in the family so if you have a family history get checked at any age, a lot of doctors won’t do it before age 50 even when there’s a history, find another doctor who will. It is an easily treated cancer when caught early. I’m at high risk because of her so I get screened every 2 years. The cost isn’t that much and it will save your life.
My sister died at age 59, what a shame, far too young.
edited to add…. If she had believed Cancer Center of Maine, she would not have had any treatment and would probably have died in 2 months. I can’t help but wonder how many Mainers have just went home to die with no hope after a visit with Cancer Center of Maine.
I also want to add to your post, most all hospitals with cancer care are
under EMMC control so you will not get a real 2nd opinion.
You will need to go beyond Lewiston.
My sister had avlump for 16 years no one told her. She got too many recalls for
more screening she was told no problems just bad pictures. The end was 2 operations
an offer of chemo radiation and pills and she would never get it again.
She went some place else and found the tumor everyone was keeping an eye on was left
in her and the size of a large lemon. She also found out you can have the
lump tested for speed the cells divide. Because hers was thankfully so slow
we found chemo would not have done anything to get rid of the tumor, just make her
sick when she didn’t have to be. Also you can have radiation once in an area
since chemo is not a helpful option for my sister she had both her breast
removed , good thing Bangor didn’t tell her she had cancer in the other breast.
I think it should be considered murder not to be able to get
health care out of state
Why do you think that you can’t get healthcare out of State?? My husband, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin and many more have gone out of State for treatment.
My insurance.
That is SO true, Pheobe53! My uncle was living in Maine at the time they found his colon cancer. They took out much of his intestines as well, gave him a colostomy bag and said he would have died if he hadn’t had this surgery. He wasn’t given much hope after the surgery either. He was stuck in the hospital and basically waiting to die. Then we convinced him to come down to Florida and check out one of our doctors to get a second opinion. He did just that and found out that the surgery should have never been done in the first place …that it wasn’t necessary for them to remove so much and he would have been fine. The doctor performed a surgery hoping he could reattach what they had left him, but unfortunately they had removed too much so he was basically stuck with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life when it should have been just removing the cancer itself (if it even WAS cancer). He didn’t even need the cancer treatments either and is still alive today, over 30 yrs later. If he would have stayed up here, I believe he would have passed away soon after that initial surgery.
I also believe that many of the doctors up here don’t take younger people seriously enough…that they still have that ignorant mentality that nothing will happen to them…that they are too young. I have many family members that passed away at a YOUNG age because of this mentality. Sticking to the statistics and saying it’s not necessary for them to have a test because they aren’t old enough, etc…even with the symptoms and then that person thinks this to be true. I believe that is a big problem here and why so many young people end up dying from cancer. I see and hear a lot of this…yet it’s the older generation that is living because THEY are the one’s that the doctor’s ARE listening to and treating. I have never seen such a horrible system as I have in Maine. I can’t wait to get BACK to the south and be in civilization again. THIS is scary!
So sorry to hear about your sister. My heart goes out to you.
Thank you micho.
My sisters oldest son tried to get a screening after she was diagnosed, he’s at high risk, but the doctor wouldn’t do it because he was too young, in his 30’s. I have heard of people in their 20’s getting colon cancer so what age should be too young?
Sorry that your sister had a bad experience but thankfully my cousin and my husband have had and are receiving wonderful care at Cancer Care of Maine. They are getting nationally known for their excellent care. When my husband went to NY (no specialists in Maine) for his surgery they recommended that we stay with Cancer Care of Maine for his post surgery treatment. Since my husband has been diagnosed all of his Dr’s have been great. And most if not all insurances will pay for early colonoscopies when a sibling is involved. If you don’t have insurance pay for it yourself, your life is worth the cost of it. Everyone should always get a second opinion and in our case we got a 3rd. My mother has had a terrible experience at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston and we will never go there again.
I’m very glad to hear that your cousin and husband are getting wonderful care, maybe Cancer Center of Maine has improved over the last few years, I would certainly like to think so plus I’m sure they now have access to new drugs that they weren’t willing to try at the time my sister was diagnosed.
Duke University Hospital is one of the leading cancer hospitals in the country, they put my sister in a trial of Avastin, Cancer Center of Maine wouldn’t do that, if not for the Avastin she probably would not have survived for 5 years. When she was diagnosed the cancer had already spread to her liver.
Don’t believe that all good cancer care is out of state. For the most part, Boston is a huge research hub. Every patient, with a diagnosis or looking at one, must be his or her own advocate.
As I mentioned in another post, we moved here from Boston ten years ago. Before we moved, my husband was worked up for some vague abdominal pain including a couple of visits to an oncologist who was sure he did not have cancer. That was at a teaching hospital with Boston University School of Medicine. The doctor had experience, i.e. was not an intern or resident. We were in our new home about three weeks when my husband experienced some severe abdominal pain and went to the local ER. The doctor there had an abdominal CT scan and a huge mass was discovered and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We were devastated. He was referred to a surgeon who said he could not help, that my husband needed someone who specialized in biliary surgery and we ended up electing to go to Mass General. As it worked out, the surgeon here, hooked us up with the doctor who wrote the book on the surgery my husband needed. He was operated on less than two weeks later and the surgery was successful by itself. No chemo or radiation was necessary.
Had we gone through channels with his primary care doctor in Mass. we would have ended up in a clinic at one of the big hospitals with someone unknown doing the surgery. We did have the option of going to Portland, but since we had to travel so far anyway, our home was still there to be used so we just went back for a few weeks.
My husband remained cancer free for four years after that surgery and probably would have gone a lot longer had he not died of an accident after that time. I am forever grateful we were here at the small hospital where the doctors took the time for us and gave us the best options for his recovery.
Ya gotta love Maine, living here, it is a lovely place, it is a miserable place, as far as our piece of real estate, Maine was pretty much scraped clean by the glaciers 10,000 years or so ago, there is not much topsoil in many areas, I have always thought we are hit with more radon than we think at times, and some are not really able to buy the best groceries, and many do smoke, however, it does not seem like smoking is as much a health hazard as is a bad diet. Many suffer from the cold, the heat, the stress, the lonely’s. The state is warring on poor people now, that does not help, there was far more lead paint taken in by children in the 50’s and 60’s than one might think, that probably has lead to some mental and physical problems in this era, with our congested highways, acid rain, and mercury in our lakes from the midwest, it is sometimes, and, not much thought is allowed, but, we Mainers are somewhat tough, but little understood in our ways.
Cancer can’t stick to Allens Coffee Brandy. Proven fact I’m telling you.
I agree one hundred proof, er, percent.
Soooooo wrong….and so effin’ funny. Blew coffee right out of my nose.
Radon would most affect the incidence of ling cancer and is exacerbated by smoking. Any data on radon levels compared to the rest of the US? We don’t have near the congested highways that other states do (ever driven in or near New York, Chicago, LA, etc.?), acid rain may not be a cancer problem, but mercury might.
Tough to see that we’re worse than New Jersey, a good share of which is really polluted.
I had my ling removed years ago, and I feel great!
lol you ling a ding
Good for you. But what does this have to do with my comment?
Radon levels are a non-issue when you have proper ventilation.
Let’s see, 8 months out of the year people are trying to stay warm sealed-up in their homes…
That is is not true. Proper ventilation doesn’t just happen. Open a window and let the room breathe works in the summer and only for floors above ground level. Lots of info out on the dangers of radon if you research and Maine is full of it. I’ve spent many years in real estate here in Maine. I personally have a basement with a Radon Mitigation System installed. I speak highly to the value of a property that has that extra ounce of prevention!
I did not even realize we had glass repairmen 10,000 years ago, let alone how destructive they were!
thanks did not see that
Just having fun…
One other key contributor to the cancer rate that was not mentioned here but was presented at an EMHS meeting when I was an intern was “Localized family pedigrees”. Let that one sink in for a bit.
Yes. It is the same reason there are several genetic diseases that are named for Maine families. In past centuries the road was less traveled.
Health care, even preventative, is beyond expensive, never mind any treatment. Even if a person qualifies for those “free cancer screening tests” (mammograms, paps, colonoscopies, etc), what on earth are they going to do if a diagnosis of cancer or precancer is made and they can’t afford the meds or the surgery? That in itself renders that “free” screening absolutely useless so why bother.
This is exactly why every American needs access to health care. Let’s be careful not to vote for those who would take away any gains we made these past few years. Don’t let’s worry about scare tactics calling health insurance premiums a tax. So what if it is? The alternative is going back to the days when an insurance company could refuse to accept your premiums once you began expensive health treatment. Or you quickly reached the maximum amount your policy would pay out.
Having come face-to-face with the Big C this summer under questionable economic conditions, I can tell you that at moments like that, you stop caring about how the surgery’s going to get paid for. Better to be alive and bankrupt than dead and, well, dead.
Yes, and not surprisingly, the leading cause OF bankruptcies in the US, IS medical bills !
Duct tape…utility knife and some needle nose…yellow root and a mason jar of shine.
Aw the good old days :-/
Add the factors of the high per capita rates of the consumption of alcohol and POT smoking , but of course those are harmless drugs to many.
and the paper mills spewing chemicals into the air. As a kid growing up in a mill town, you could tell when it was going to rain. The blue sulfur cloud would cover the town and it was so strong you could taste it….
It makes sense that access to health care is a biggie but my first thought was damage to the environment caused by pulp/paper and textiles must be the #1 reason. With all the money being poured into cancer research it’s a shame we don’t have better answers to these basic questions
Other than combustion pollution from the mills, the sulfur compounds probably aren’t carcinogens. Should be checked though as should incidence of cancer in the plant plumes.
Lots of asbestos and dust exposure from mills and places like shipyards are great sources of cancer-causing agents, especially in the ol’ lungs. Plus, we get a lot of elderly Florida residents spending half of the year here, and I’m sure a good many of them don’t always make it back down south for the winter, so that probably skews the numbers as well. I thought I also remember reading a report about how we have a large belt of naturally occuring arsenic in the groundwater which also adds to increased cancer risk.
Maine has an awful lot of people living a lot longer than in Mass though, cancer or not. They stroke out a lot younger down there because of all the stress and lack of physical labor a lot of us have to do to survive living up here on a wicked tight budget (harvesting and processing firewood, mowing, gardening, hunting, fishing, farming).
Good points. Asbestos would account for a lot. Any other baddies I’m not aware of? Speaking of asbestos, do we have a problem with Maine bedrock and ledge for that?
One of the issues is the delay in health care in Maine. Many health insurances do not allow out of state doctor visits, so people in Maine are forced to wait for their appointment. Many times, the waits are months and months. Personally, I know that I made an appointment for an orthopedic visit and my wait was about 5 months. Calls to other orthopedic offices within a 100 mile radius gave the same result.
A relative had chronic pain and she was referred to a pain management clinic in March. Her appointment at the clinic was made for the end of August. Several trips to the emergency room later (and over $500 in co-pays since she has to pay $100 per ER visit) she got in to the “class” due to a cancellation . After attending the class, she had to make an appointment to actually see a doctor. Her appointment was made for 5 weeks after the class. She does not like to take pain medication, so was absolutely miserable and unable to work for 5 weeks due to her pain and inability to sleep because of the pain.
If you are lucky enough to get in to see a doctor within a few weeks, the wait for tests can then be months as well.
Maybe if doctors could see their patients right away, then some of the diseases wouldn’t go untreated for as long as they do and people might have a better chance.
Just my opinion…
“If you’re having signs and symptoms, especially of cancer, you have to
make sure that you’re going in and talking to your physician,” Pinette
said.
Would have been nice for the BDN to print those symptoms….
When symptoms of cancer show, it’s late into the progress. That and withholding information from people and “keeping an eye” on these things until they turn to cancer.
Somewhere in this article it was said about poor eating, smoking life style and well from insurance point of view it’s your own fault no on elses. Thats not so.
People forget DDT was spread all over Maine (elsewhere too) and doesn’t go away, it sunks a few inches into the ground. Every time you turn soil over, it brings it back up. All the mills south and west blew their nasty on the wind which ends up here. Likewise from Canada.
If you lived within several miles of a mill their waste posion in in well water. Drink city water? Now there’s some bad chemicals.
Look at the labels on your food, foods you think are healthy there’s stuff in there you can’t even pronounce let alone know what it is or does.
Johnson & Johnsons lotions were prove to cause cancer, for the last 10 years they haven’t been able to sell it outside the U.S. and had to change the recipe, but not for us, our babies in another year or two they have to finally. How many of us had Johnsons baby product smeared on us as babies?
Coke and Pepsi have to change their recipes because their flavor syrup causes cancer.
Even if you raise your own veggies and meats, the seeds and the feeds for your animals have toxic’s in them.
Newest scare, rice. There’s are all kinds of posions in rice from fertilizers to posions that kill pests. How many people have fed their kids Rice Crispies?
I have a bunch of letters and diaries that were a grandparent and great grandparent. They spoke of buying a product they called ‘MilkMore”. It was a chemical to make cows produce more milk. That was back in the early 1900’s. A like product is still given to cows.
People cover themselves in perfumed stuff, it’s all chemicals unless you buy ‘plant extract”.
Ever notice on food stuff it might say, vanilla flavor or some other flavor? Flavor is a man made chemical and not the real thing. It takes chemicals to make a flavor you won’t get chocolate flavoring from an apple.
The FDA says it’s all ok, but it’s not. They’ve lied to us for a century.
This should be making people angry, the smoking and boozing is at the bottom of the list of things that cause cancer.
I don’t recall hearing any reports suggesting that alcoholic beverages are carcinogenic.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer.
Alcohol use is defiantly considered a carcinogen. I don’t know the break down but certainly liver cancer is right up there but breast, esophageal, and cancers in the mouth are all linked to alcohol use.
Signs and symptoms vary with each cancer. What it boils down to is you and your doctor should know your body. When something isn’t “right” then make sure it’s addressed, ask questions and push your doctor to pursue it. You are your own best health care advocate and should never assume your doctor will do what’s right medically, even as simply as ordering the proper screening.
Signed,
Voice of Experience
“People not eating healthy (noun) or taking care of themselves and smoking.” (Eating healthily) Healthy is an adjective. Healthily is an adverb.
And you sir are a
If you’re going to be a pedant, do it properly. Word choice issues are a secondary concern; the grammar in that sentence is atrocious. She seems to be saying that the main problems are that people aren’t:
a) eating healthy (sic); or
b) taking care of themselves and smoking.
Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and speculate that that isn’t what she meant.
Both Tucker and Pinette stressed healthy habits and regular screenings as key to cancer prevention and detection.
That is if you can actually find a doctor in this state that will do the tests and screening. My mother went to her doctor for nearly 8 months complaining of sore throats and trouble swallowing. She finally had a C-scan after all of that time only to find out that she had throat cancer. What did the doctor say about it? Well nothing about your symptoms led us to believe that? 8 freaken months for the same symptom…They are supposed to be the educated ones arent they? Thankfully, my mom beat it with Chemo and Radiation that burned her neck and throat so badly that she is now basically on a liquid diet. Before any of you mention going to a lawyer, already been done, and guess what? Nobody wanted to take it…Not Bornstein, who says he will win any malpractice suit, not any of the others that are on television asking you to call them when they have an open and shut case so they can take some of your claim. These doctors and lawyers are ruining this country. Not long ago, my father went to the Walk-In Care, with, yep, a sore throat and a huge lump on the side of his neck…After two more visits and pleading from my mom, same exact thing happened, throat cancer…though not in the same area. He too seems to have beaten it. My question is this. If Maine admits that Cancer is the leading killer of Maine people, then why arent doctors doing more screenings, expecially when the patients come in with complaints that could be easily linked….The Answer??? Simple, if you dont have a top notch medical insurance, these tests are pricey at best. They know the insurance company is only going to pay a portion of this and they wont get the rest for a long time….Now that is the sad but true state of affairs with Cancer in Maine.
Both of my parents are 70, and they have NEVER been talked to about having a colonoscopy, which should have been done in their 50’s.
Guess we’re lucky. We’ve got a great family doctor and regular checkups. Reminds me to make my appointment for my annual.
You must be a state worker. Lucky you.
Nope. Retired with good health insurance and a good Dr. Never worked for this or any other state.
Maine is the tailpipe of the nation, all the pollution from the coal fired electrical plants blows right through here.
I would open a window, stick my head out and scream….but I’d probably scare off the moose. I can’t believe this report! I already spent my entire adult life, except for the last few years, in the #1, 2, & 3 worst places for a woman to get diagnosed with breast cancer. Now they tell me cancer kills at a higher rate in Maine than anywhere else. I am doomed! Of course, there might be a big old moose with my name on his side or that hunter who seemed to think I had a moose under the bed….or maybe it just sounded like he was shooting up the entire outdoors. Oh well, so if the moose or the hunter don’t get me, I’m done for just the same.
An interesting essay, especially considering that many Republican politicians argue that preventive care is not necessary, especially for young people, so it doesn’t matter if they lose MaineCare coverage.
Healthy habits AND regular screenings are vital. As the article said, simply eating well and exercising won’t protect you from many forms of cancer. “Regular visits with a primary care doctor are key in the fight against the disease.”
Want to tell that to the people who did regular screenings and checks
who later found out the doctors were keeping an eye on a lump for 16 years
then let the person know when it turned to cancer.
I’ve noticed when a hospital wants to add on , remodel, get raises Thers
an outburst of illnesses, especially cancer
The cancer rate is frightening in Maine. Here, I don’t know a single person currently suffering from cancer. Yes cancer happens everywhere, but if you haven’t lived anywhere but Maine, you don’t realize just how much cancer there is up there.
I blame years of air pollution and pollution of the rivers. Howland got its water from the river for years without any treatment. People bathed and cooked with this water (some even drank it) the same water that mills dumped chemicals in unregulated. The street that my mom grew up on had a case of cancer at almost every home. That cannot be coincidence.
Seems cancer is rather prevalent in many places in this country. They just keep telling people it’s bad where they live and hope we don’t realize it’s everywhere. Probably it’s the same thing all over the planet. Years ago you didn’t know how bad it was because a lot of families didn’t disclose it to others.
1 in 3 people get cancer worldwide. More prevalent than you think…
Alpha radiation, No Sun, and Liberals . Move to sunny Florida, a happy place, and leave your diseases behind.
say what you will, but mill owners have been killing working people at a rapid clip. when all the mills moved away from the water power and went south for the cheap labor the workers were called “lint heads”. they knew it was a death sentence but did every thing they could to get one of those jobs. been some progress though, they don’t chain working class kids to the machines for 10-12 hours a day anymore.
Part of the reason why death by cancer is high is because of our healthcare system. Not sure about down south, but I can tell you it stinks up north. When you find a ‘good’ doctor who really cares, listens, and believes you when you tell them something is wrong, they move on to somewhere that probably pays them better. Not only that, but we dont have our own specialists, they come here from points south, Bangor, Boston, and hold ‘clinics’ so many times per month and so yes, our waits are very long. By the time we get someone to believe us and send us to a specialist, we have already waited too long. I cannot even count the number of times I or people I know have been mis-diagnosed from broken bones that supposedly were not broken, to cancer and other ailments. Then, as soon as one doctor finds something 30 other people are diagnosed with the same thing and all told to have surgery. Kind of makes you wonder….
I’m not sure what you are talking about; my cancer was caught very early because I have a great doctor. He’s the same one I have had for a long time and he listens to me and acts on my concerns. I was diagnosed on a Monday and was in treatment by Thursday. We have a fantastic cancer center here with specialists; I’m not sure what this wait is you are talking about. I have to wonder about so many people who post about what crappy medical services we have in this area; my experience has been the exact opposite.
We dont have a cancer center up here. So, you are not up here.
From the pie chart, it looks like stroke is the leading cause of death.
But why?
Perhaps because we die less from other causes? You DO have to die of something. Be wary of drawing too many conclusions from stats like these. Maybe our Drs are actually quite good, and keep us from dying of things we actually have cures for, leaving cancer (for which we have no cure) to pick up the slack.
I work in the healthcare industry in maine, and I can tell you that there are a lot of people who work alongside me who smoke relentlessly.
It is a sad statement, that when your job involves dealing with cancer patients on a daily basis, you are blind to the fact that smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer.
It’ s true that there are really no good ways to die, but cancer is not the way I would choose, if I had a choice. Which to some measure, I do.
It is best not to smoke. Putting aside cancer, tobacco use negatively effects muscles, depletes the body of necessary vitamins and minerals, etc. It is harmful.
That said — the sight of seeing any health care staff, at any type of facility, having to stand outside in order to smoke, when they are providing the best care they can, under all the wretched conditions so many have commented about – is disgusting, and they should be given an enclosed space with proper ventilation and comfort in which to smoke. (This applies to teachers as well).
Human beings have varying levels of sensitivity. Many who are especially sensitive to the needs of other human beings, and the human-ness of human beings, smoke. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. M.D., smoked. Her advocacy for the welfare of the dying has left a legacy that is unmatched. Today, she would stand in the rain and snow if she wanted to have a cigarette, if even then. (The dangers of tobacco have been known since the earliest writings about the plant).
Stress levels in any profession that administers to humans run very high. Yoga does not work for everyone, and it’s safe to say that, in this country, it is still a select group of people who utilize that practice, which is too bad, but it is true. Your coworkers are not blind. Far from it.
Also, something not mentioned in the article is the amount of imaging that is ordered by physicians. The amount of ionizing radiation received from a CT scan is substantial. Mammography, repeated more often than not, hence, not solely a “one-shot” deal, adds to the lifetime ‘safe’ exposure levels. It is easy to think of something like a scan being less invasive and more comfortable. But what is the trade-off? Fortunately the federal government is, in fact, taking more steps to reduce unnecessary imaging. But, currently, I know a woman who is consenting to have a CT scan for recurring sinusitis. This, without having her air conditioner filter checked or changed first, or tests for allergies. This radiation will be delivered to her HEAD. And, once they see that, yes, she has a sinus infection, then it’s back to step one as to the cause.
Screening mammography has resulted in absolutely wrong diagnosis and completely needless surgery due to lack of strict guidelines for everyone connected with the process. MRIs are given under poor condition with poorly-trained, and often unsupervised staff. None of this encourages anyone who does the research to take what can be the greater risk of actually getting to be seen for a medical problem.
Diet is discussed and of course it is a huge contributor . The quality of the foods , mostly processed, that the citizens of lower means have to choose from are unhealthy to begin with . Most people could eliminate a lot of their medications and medical procedures and profit physically if there was affordable equal justice on the market for healthier food . Unfortunately not everyone can afford to eat organic. I returned some 2 day old rotted lettuce to my grocery store and the produced clerk told me if I want to insure that my produce is fresh then ultimately I should have my own garden. Well of course that was a good suggestion but I happen to be one of a limited means as well and *my* options don’t allow room for gardening. Albeit I am aware there are other lifestyle habits that some folks participate in that responsible for creating bad health also.
One of the best things one can do to understand Cancer and the journey one goes through is to educate yourself about it. There is nothing worse than someone assuming they know but yet have no idea what it’s really all about.
Dont rely on someone else for answers that may be wrong. Do your own research and remember, there are many types of Cancer and many different categorys in which it’s determined how one gets treatment.
There are many web sites out there. Google it.
I’m writing this from Boston. Why? Because my partner is being treated at Dana Farber. Maine’s medical establishment (and a certain Augusta hospital with an edifice complex) totally missed his diagnosis for 6 months… The needle biopsy was only done at his insistence. Sadly, this article is no surprise.
Data amassed in the 1950’s through the 1970’s showed higher than normal levels of radiation near nuclear test sites in Nevada but relatively low levels of radiation all across the country except for the area around Plattsburgh, New York, which showed levels of radiation almost as high as in Nevada. Research showed that radioactive particles were taken aloft by winds and dropped just west of the Appalachian Mountain range due to air pressure and meteorological conditions. A similar situation exists with particulate contamination from industrial sites in the midwest. The particles are taken aloft by winds above the midwest and dropped, not west of, but east of the Appalachian Mountain Range in New Hampshire. This contamination causes much of the poor air conditions in Maine and likely also contributes to our high cancer rates.
“The earlier you catch cancer — breast and prostate and lung — the better your survival rate will be,” Pinette said. “Colon cancer is a preventable cancer.”
Yet many of us have friends and neighbors who went to the Doctor for a lump, sore throat, persistent cough, etc; only to be told it was a common cold, or nothing to worry about, then 6 months later being told they only have 2-3 months to live.
Also, Maine uses a large amount of agricultural chemicals in the blueberry, potato, apple, and other fields, as well as our forests.
Some cleaning chemicals used in the homes also contain carcinogens. Tanning booths are used all winter long by many.
Benzene which is prevalent in fuels and exhausts is also very carcinogenic. Have you ever seen wood smoke hang low over a community on a cold winter day? The exhaust particles from furnaces and auto’s are also hanging low as well and being inhaled in high concentrations.
Has anyone looked at the chemicals when farmers spray theirs fields? yes we need farms, and we are at the tailpipe of New England industry. Coal being the worst, I remember when I lived in Northern Maine. Folks saying it’s clean air here, bla bla bla. Everytime I go home to visit family, my lungs fill up and I struggle to breath for a few days until I get use of it. Then I fly back outwest where farms are 100 time bigger then of Maine and yeah I breath better. We have natural gas plants out here and burn natural gas for heat and almost everything. Again, Northern Maine need to switch to NG and place surveys to see if there is NG in Maine, I bet there is since N.B. have NG. Irving is a small oil company compare to Husky, Exxon, Shell, Etc.
Where is the editor? On vacation?
Cancer may kill more people in Maine than in any other State, but there are other smaller localities ((Like Picher Oklahoma, and Centrillia Pennsylvania)0 where the cancer death rate is much higher.
Please try to get the story down without overly dramatic embelishments.
I beg to differ with the “colon cancer is a preventabe cancer” comment…my husband who is only 33 had cancerous colon polyps removed from his colon before the age of 21, so please tell me how that would have been prevented considering, he was only 20 years old, good diet habits and very active…considering he lived in a different state and they did the proper testing they did find it, but had he waited until he was 50 years old he would have been dead before the age of 30…so again how would that have been preventable if he didn’t push for a colonoscopy at a young age. I agree the health care in Maine sucks! I grew up and lived in Maine until I was 25 years old then moved for a better job, I have since reconsidered moving back until my father was diagnosed with a very rare form of leukemia and almost died in the care of a certian small town hospital. Had I not gotten there in time to tell a nurse how to do her job considering I am in the health care field my father would have been dead! But because I opened up my mouth and got him the proper care in a different hospital he is now alive to tell about it, not to mention that a Boston hospital gave his doctors the right treatment options for chemotherapy! So yes the health care is the number one reason I will not move my family back to Maine! Maybe people need to start taking a look at their healthcare and realize that they are not getting cared for properly and get an attorney from out of state that may do probono to take down a lot of these doctors for not doing their job then maybe they may get scared of losing their paychecks to malpractice they might think about the patients more and not themsleves. I work in health care in Connecticut and I can tell you my physicians priorities are taking care of their patients not their wallets! I can attest to the health care here as well because most of the hospitals here are not for profit and by the way I have cared for myself!
So you are blaming the doctors for not doing a colonoscopy at 20? You do realize that there are standards set up by insurance companies and the medical community based on statistical probabilities? Normally you don’t have to worry about colon cancer in a 20 year old; that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. If we are going to start testing everyone for every probability no matter what age, be prepared for insurance costs to skyrocket. If you have a concern, your doctor will order the necessary exams, including colonoscopies.
As a cancer survivor, I am very happy with the resources we have in this community; you do no one any service by wrongly claiming that to get good care you have to go out of state.
While medical care in Maine is iffy, certainly so if you are poor, it is not much better in most rural areas of the US. I reside in TX and it is just the same here.
I have a dear friend who complained of abdominal pain for nearly a year before the third Dr she went to decided to do some tests; ovarian cyst said he. My friend went to surgery and had said ovary removed. Supposedly this was the end of the story, (or so she thought since no one said anything to the contrary nor apparently did a biopsy on the ovary) except she kept getting sicker and sicker and suffering more and worse pain. Her previous Dr didn’t seem at all concerned: post op pain and symptoms said he. Finally on the fourth Dr it was discovered that she had had stage four ovarian cancer.
She is a tough old gal, is fighting a good fight and currently in remission. Did I mention that she is poor?
I wonder how effective all the dollars going to cancer research is…?? We pay a guy 100 million to hit a baseball but we cannot seem to put up that kind of money for a group of doctors to find a cure?
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