Rare cancer deaths high in county 

Kara Salge / Journal Gazette (IN) 4aug01

Allen County residents are dying from a rare bone marrow cancer at a significantly higher rate compared to other counties in Indiana, a study by Cancer Services of Allen County says.

The organization looked at Indiana State Department of Health data from 1995, the latest compilation of cancer rates in the state, said Debra Noell, chief operating officer.

In Allen County, five of every 100,000 people die from multiple myeloma, a rare bone marrow cancer. That number is 66 percent higher than the Indiana rate, which is three deaths per every 100,000 people. 

The national rate is 4.4 per 100,000.

"Nobody really knows why that is," Noell said.

She said epidemiologists spend years studying the reasons behind certain trends. She also said that while this finding is "statistically significant," it is only one year's data.

The number is only expected to make people more aware of the problem, she said.

Overall, cancer rates in Allen County are 17 percent lower than the national average.

The rate of blacks who die from cancer is higher than the number of whites, a trend that is consistent with national statistics, Noell said.

For every 100,000 Allen County residents, 256.1 black residents and 171.3 white residents die from cancers.

Minority death rates are compiled from a number of cancers, including cervical, ovarian, prostate, lung and multiple myeloma.

More Allen County residents die from lung cancer (34 percent), colon/rectum cancer (13 percent) and breast cancer (11 percent) than other cancers.

The organization's report, "Needs Assessment for Cancer Services of Allen County," includes analysis of the state health department's data and the results of focus group interviews. The study was conducted to better address needs of cancer patients in Allen County, said Bonnie Cook, president and chief executive officer of Cancer Services of Allen County.

Five focus groups were interviewed, with adult and children cancer patients and their families, volunteers and families of patients who have died of cancer participating.

As a result of the findings, two new programs have been created.

The first, the Client Advocate Program, will assign an advocate to clients to meet with them at least twice a month to help them receive the support they need from Cancer Services or any other area organization.

The goal of the program is to contact the patient within five days of diagnosis. Cook said that when patients first learn of their illness, it could be a while before their treatment begins.

"That's a long time to be pretty darn anxious," she said.

Another new program, the Interim Care Program, which is slated to begin Monday, will give eligible patients an hour of daily, in-home care, Cook said.

Cancer Services is working with other home care non-profit groups to provide clients with qualified health care aides.