Delaware is a small state that is dealing with a big problem: cancer. According to new statistics from the Delaware Division of Public Health, the state has the second highest rate of cancer cases and the fifteenth highest rate of cancer deaths in the country. However, Delaware City jumps out because of its very high cancer rates.
What Does Delaware City Mean?
Delaware City is a historic town on the eastern shore of the Delaware River in New Castle County. The city covers an area of 1.3 square miles and is home to about 1,700 people. Delaware City is an important landmark in the state because of its beautiful waterfront, old fort, and refinery.
At What Rate Do People in Delaware City Get Cancer?
The Delaware Cancer Registry says that between 2014 and 2018, Delaware City had an average age-adjusted cancer incidence rate of 1,013.9 per 100,000 people and an average age-adjusted cancer mortality rate of 307.4 per 100,000 residents.
These numbers are much higher than the state means of 449.1 and 169.6, respectively. As a result, among all cities and towns in Delaware during this time, Delaware City had the highest rate of new cases of cancer and the second-highest rate of deaths from cancer.
Why Do So Many People in Delaware City Seem to Be Getting Cancer?
It’s still not clear why Delaware City has such high cancer rates, but exposure to toxic substances in the surroundings seems like a possible reason. One of the biggest oil plants on the East Coast is in Delaware City, home of the Delaware City Refining Company. The refinery releases sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and benzene into the air every day as it processes 190,000 barrels of crude oil. These toxins can cause cancer.
Lifestyle choices like smoking, being overweight, not being active, eating poorly, and drinking too much alcohol are also linked to a higher chance of cancer. People in Delaware City tend to act in these ways because of their own choices and socioeconomic factors like access to healthcare and education. The city has a lower median household income ($54,375) and a higher poverty rate (14.9%) compared to the state averages ($68,012 and 12.5%, respectively).
What Can Be Done to Make Delaware City Less Likely to Get Cancer?
To lower the number of cancer cases in Delaware City, residents, healthcare providers, neighborhood groups, and local and state officials must all work together. Some possible actions are:
Stricter rules must be followed, and air quality and pollution from factories like the refinery must be closely watched.
Giving more money to programs that avoid and screen for cancer, especially those that help people with low incomes and no insurance.
More people need to know about the signs of cancer, how to find it early, and the benefits of treatment.
encouraging healthy habits and making environments that support exercise, balanced nutrition, weight management, quitting smoking, and drinking booze in moderation.
To deal with the social factors that affect health and fight for health equality, encouraging community participation is key.
In Conclusion
Delaware City has a lot of history and culture, but it also has a big health problem: a lot of people get cancer there. These rates might be caused by being exposed to toxins in the surroundings and changing how you live because of your socioeconomic status. To solve this problem, we need a broad, collaborative strategy that includes many areas. Everyone in Delaware City can live in a better place if everyone works together.