December 20, 2007 - Uninsured Americans are 1.6 times as likely to die within five years of cancer diagnosis than insured individuals, according to a new American Cancer Society report examining the impact of health insurance status on cancer treatment and survival.
The article, posted online Dec. 20 and set to be published in the January-February 2008 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, was authored by American Cancer Society researchers.
The researchers analyzed 598,635 cases. The patients included had either private insurance, Medicaid, or no insurance.
Patients who are uninsured are less likely to receive cancer screenings, early diagnosis and advanced treatment.
For more information: www.cancer.org