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Plan targets smoking, obesity to curb cancer
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The state’s five-year plan for fighting cancer targets smoking, poor nutrition and obesity to limit the disease that is now diagnosed in more than 100,000 New Yorkers annually while killing about 35,000.Noting the nearly 1 million cancer survivors among the state’s 19 million people, the plan also calls for tracking their quality-of-life outcomes and ensuring appropriate follow-up care including ongoing screenings.“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in New York state,” Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah said. In 2010, the disease killed 35,092 people, down about 2,000 in a decade, compared with 44,557 deaths from heart disease, which was down more than 13,000 since 2000, according to state data.The report from a consortium of providers and organizations, including the state Health Department and the American Cancer Society, lists incremental goals for early detection, treatment, public outreach, workforce training and palliative care for those who are terminally ill.The chief strategy for better early detection is implementing the 2010 federal law intended to help extend health coverage to 2.7 million uninsured New Yorkers. Starting in 2014, the New York Health Benefit Exchange, a federally required and subsidized marketplace for buyers, is expected enroll about 1.1 million uninsured.According to the report:• 77 percent of women over 40 have been getting screened for breast cancer in New York;• 84 percent of women over 18 were screened for cervical cancer;• 70 percent of adults over 50 were screened for colorectal cancer.Meanwhile, 18 percent of New York adults were smokers, one out of four was obese and only 27 percent consumed five or more fruits or vegetables a day.