Concerns Over Cost Prevent an Estimated 2 Million Cancer Survivors Per Year From Seeking Medical Care

An estimated 2 million cancer survivors per year did not receive necessary medical services from 2003 to 2006 due to concerns over the costs of care, according to a research article published in the June 14, 2010, Cancer.

The study raises concerns that the long-term health and well-being in this population suffer due to financial worries about health care, stated the American Cancer Society in a press release.

Kathryn Weaver, Ph.D., M.P.H., and colleagues analyzed the data from the annual U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to determine the prevalence in this population of forgoing care due to financial worries. The NHIS is an in-person, nationwide survey of approximately 30,000 to 40,000 households in the civilian, non-institutionalized population used to track trends in illness and disability in the United States.

Among the 6,602 adults cancer survivors identified out of 104,364 individuals with no history of cancer, the prevalence of forgoing care was 7.8 percent for medical care, 9.9 percent for prescription medicines, 11.3 percent for dental care and 2.7 percent for mental health care. Survivors younger than 65 were 55 percent more likely to delay or forgo all types of medical care, according to the study.

“This is important because cancer survivors have many medical needs that persist for years after their diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr. Weaver, with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Disparities based on cancer history and race or ethnicity largely reflected those that affect the general population. The populations most likely to forgo prescription medications and dental care were Hispanic and black.

The researchers reported that 18 percent of U.S. cancer survivors, or an estimated 2 million individuals, did not receive one or more needed medical services due to financial concerns.

“Future research needs to examine the impact of forgoing care on survivors’ quality of life and survival,” the authors concluded.

Dr. Weaver added that it would be interesting to observe how the new health care reform efforts affect access to care for cancer survivors. The press release and on this study and the journal Cancer can be found at www.wiley.com.