Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Malignant Melanoma In Kentucky: An Analysis Of The Individual And Social Factors On Disease Stage And Treatment, Virginia Valentin

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Introduction: In 2016 there will be an estimated 76,380 new cases of malignant melanoma and 10,130 deaths in the United States (US). ¹ Malignant melanoma incidence is increasing faster than any other preventable cancer in the US with an expected 112,000 new cases a year by 2030. ^2,3 This capstone attempts to quantify the association of individual and social factors on melanoma late-stage diagnosis and non-adherence to surgical treatment guidelines for early-stage lesions in Kentucky.

Methods: The analysis combines three datasets: individual level data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry, census tract level data from the US Census and …

A Population-Based Survival Analysis Of Mesothelioma And Smoking In Appalachian And Non-Appalachian Kentucky, Peter Van Wie

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive cancers in the United States and around the world, with a grim 5-year survival rate of only 8%. After diagnosis there is little that can be done to stop the progression of the disease. Smoking has been negatively associated with mesothelioma survival. This may be due to several factors including increased oxidative stress or sequestration of tobacco-related carcinogenic compounds by asbestos fibers trapped in the lung. This study investigated the association between smoking and mesothelioma survival in the Kentucky population. It examines the risk of living in the low socioeconomic region of Appalachian …