Palscience

Results from a new study show that patient who dont have health insurance are more likely to die sooner than who are insured. According to the researchers of the study, the reason why uninsured cancer patients live shorter is becuase they have to wait too long to visit their doctors, this allows the cancer to spread to other parts of their bodies.

“I would just like for something to be done to help someone else, so they don’t have to go through what we went through,” said Peggy Hicks, a Florida woman whose husband died in August from colon cancer.

“For too many hardworking ‘average Americans’ paying for cancer treatment means not paying rent, mortgage (resulting in foreclosure or eviction), or utility bills, or even going hungry,” wrote Elmer Huerta, MD, American Cancer Society president, in an accompanying editorial.

“The truth is that our national reluctance to face these facts is condemning thousands of people to die from cancer each year,” Dr. Elmer Huerta wrote.

The report shows that all cancers combined together, patients who are not insured are 1.6 more likely to die within 5 years of diagnosis. Moreover, cancer patient with low income were more likey to have no health insurance.

Cancer patients with health insurance, were as twice as likey to have had a recent mammogram or colorectal screening, compared to those without insurance.

“This report clearly suggests that insurance and cost-related barriers to care are critical to address if we want to ensure that all Americans are able to share in the progress we have achieved by having access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment services,” said Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, when the report was released.

The report will be published in theJanuary-February 2008 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.