Survival rates for advanced lung cancer patients in the United States have improved modestly.
According to the new study, researchers found that one-year overall survival rate for lung cancer increased from 13.2 percent in 1990 to 19.4 percent in 2005, while two-year overall survival increased from 4.5 percent to 7.8 percent.
Some 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Lung and bronchial cancers account for about 15 percent of all cancer.
Researchers analyzed data on more than 100,000 patients diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between 1990 and 2005. The patient information was in the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.
The study authors noted that the improved survival rates may come from changes in the management of advanced lung cancer over the past two decades, including new chemotherapy agents and regimens, increased use of salvage chemotherapy and the introduction of molecularly targeted therapies.
The study is published in the December issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
Showing posts with label health insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health insurance. Show all posts
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
First National Critical Illness Insurance Study Examines U.S. Buyers
Nearly half of individuals purchasing critical illness insurance protection were under age 45 according to the first national study of buyers conducted by the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
The industry trade group released the findings of a study that reveals one third (34%) of purchasers were between ages 45 and 54 and the majority (87%) purchased $50,000 or less in benefits. The study examined sales data for over 130,000 individual and voluntary worksite policies and certificates issued.
"Critical illness insurance is growing in acceptance as consumers understand the risk and financial exposure resulting from cancer, a heart attack or stroke," explains Jesse Slome, the organization's executive director. First introduced in the United States in 1996, some 600,000 individuals have purchased critical illness coverage available from about 20 insurance companies.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of individual buyers opted for coverage of less than $20,000 according to the study's findings. For those purchasing in the worksite setting, some 65 percent chose benefits of $20,000 or less.
The vast majority of purchasers do so prior to turning age 55. Among those purchasing individual critical illness insurance policies, 20 percent were under age 35; 27 percent were between ages 35 and 44 and 34 percent were between 45 and 54. Buyers purchasing coverage in the workplace were about the same age according to the Association report. Policies providing a $10,000 benefit for a 40 year old can range from $150 to $300-per-year.
Individual buyers tended to be male (52% versus 48% female) while those purchasing in the workplace were more likely to be female (59% versus 41% male).
"We anticipate the market for critical illness insurance products will increase in the years ahead," predicts Slome. The Los Angeles-based association will undertake an aggressive consumer awareness campaign in 2010 to build an understanding of the benefits of the protection that is popular outside of the United States. "Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with a critical illness and the vast majority survive," Slome explains. "The financial cost even for those with health insurance can be devastating and one of the leading reasons 1.5 million Americans declared bankruptcy even before the current economic crisis." Critical illness insurance policies range in cost based on the age, sex and use of tobacco products. A policy providing a $10,000 cash benefit can range from about $150 a year to $400 a year experts explain.
Access to the full study results can be viewed on the organization's website http://www.aacii.org.
The industry trade group released the findings of a study that reveals one third (34%) of purchasers were between ages 45 and 54 and the majority (87%) purchased $50,000 or less in benefits. The study examined sales data for over 130,000 individual and voluntary worksite policies and certificates issued.
"Critical illness insurance is growing in acceptance as consumers understand the risk and financial exposure resulting from cancer, a heart attack or stroke," explains Jesse Slome, the organization's executive director. First introduced in the United States in 1996, some 600,000 individuals have purchased critical illness coverage available from about 20 insurance companies.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of individual buyers opted for coverage of less than $20,000 according to the study's findings. For those purchasing in the worksite setting, some 65 percent chose benefits of $20,000 or less.
The vast majority of purchasers do so prior to turning age 55. Among those purchasing individual critical illness insurance policies, 20 percent were under age 35; 27 percent were between ages 35 and 44 and 34 percent were between 45 and 54. Buyers purchasing coverage in the workplace were about the same age according to the Association report. Policies providing a $10,000 benefit for a 40 year old can range from $150 to $300-per-year.
Individual buyers tended to be male (52% versus 48% female) while those purchasing in the workplace were more likely to be female (59% versus 41% male).
"We anticipate the market for critical illness insurance products will increase in the years ahead," predicts Slome. The Los Angeles-based association will undertake an aggressive consumer awareness campaign in 2010 to build an understanding of the benefits of the protection that is popular outside of the United States. "Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with a critical illness and the vast majority survive," Slome explains. "The financial cost even for those with health insurance can be devastating and one of the leading reasons 1.5 million Americans declared bankruptcy even before the current economic crisis." Critical illness insurance policies range in cost based on the age, sex and use of tobacco products. A policy providing a $10,000 cash benefit can range from about $150 a year to $400 a year experts explain.
Access to the full study results can be viewed on the organization's website http://www.aacii.org.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Aging Heart Can Be Prevented
Old age is a major risk factor for heart failure, a condition when the heart is unable to pump enough blood around to supply the oxygen the body needs. Some 5.7 million Americans have heart failure, and nearly 10 out of every 1,000 people over age 65 suffer heart failure every year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Japanese researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto described how they managed to suppress a variety of the P13K gene in a group of elderly mice. The gene regulates the lifespan of cells and plays a role in the aging of tissues.
Prior studies found that the suppression of this gene extended the lifespan roundworm and kept the hearts of old fruit flies healthy. The Japanese researchers reported that compared with another group of mice in which the gene was left intact, mice with the suppressed gene had improved cardiac function and fewer biological markers of aging.
The medical researchers noted that mice are considered a good surrogate for studies of human diseases and conditions. Their body plan, physiology and genome share many features with humans they note. The findings were published in the journal Circulation.
Japanese researchers at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto described how they managed to suppress a variety of the P13K gene in a group of elderly mice. The gene regulates the lifespan of cells and plays a role in the aging of tissues.
Prior studies found that the suppression of this gene extended the lifespan roundworm and kept the hearts of old fruit flies healthy. The Japanese researchers reported that compared with another group of mice in which the gene was left intact, mice with the suppressed gene had improved cardiac function and fewer biological markers of aging.
The medical researchers noted that mice are considered a good surrogate for studies of human diseases and conditions. Their body plan, physiology and genome share many features with humans they note. The findings were published in the journal Circulation.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Weight Loss Good For Kidney Health
Shedding pounds through diet and exercise or even surgery may help obese adults with kidney disease ward off further decline in kidney function a new study finds.
Medical experts explain that kidneys filter waste products from the blood and excrete them in the urine. When damaged, their ability to perform these vital functions is reduced.
Some 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance and millions of others are at increased risk. By 2015, experts predict there will be more than 700,000 people with the most advanced form of kidney disease known as end-stage renal disease.
More than a third of US adults are either overweight or obese, putting them at increased risk for kidney trouble, not to mention heart trouble and diabetes. To determine if weight loss could help protect the kidneys, medical researchers at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic studied data from studies that examined the impact on kidney function of weight loss achieved through diet, exercise, or surgery.
The researchers found that losing weight through diet and exercise reduced one key measure of kidney damage - namely, excess excretion of protein in the urine, what doctors call "proteinuria." The medical report noted that weight loss achieved through surgery seemed to help normalize the rate at which the kidneys filter waste products in obese adults with abnormally high filtration rates.
The findings were reported in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
Medical experts explain that kidneys filter waste products from the blood and excrete them in the urine. When damaged, their ability to perform these vital functions is reduced.
Some 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance and millions of others are at increased risk. By 2015, experts predict there will be more than 700,000 people with the most advanced form of kidney disease known as end-stage renal disease.
More than a third of US adults are either overweight or obese, putting them at increased risk for kidney trouble, not to mention heart trouble and diabetes. To determine if weight loss could help protect the kidneys, medical researchers at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic studied data from studies that examined the impact on kidney function of weight loss achieved through diet, exercise, or surgery.
The researchers found that losing weight through diet and exercise reduced one key measure of kidney damage - namely, excess excretion of protein in the urine, what doctors call "proteinuria." The medical report noted that weight loss achieved through surgery seemed to help normalize the rate at which the kidneys filter waste products in obese adults with abnormally high filtration rates.
The findings were reported in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hispanic Americans Have Lower Cancer Risk
Hispanic (Latino) Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to develop and die from all cancers combined as well as the four most common cancers (female breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung) according to a new report.
However, Hispanics have higher rates of several cancers related to infections (stomach, liver, and cervix) and are more likely to have cancer detected at a later stage.
The findings come from the latest edition of Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos. Hispanic Americans comprise the largest, fastest-growing, and youngest minority in the United States. An estimated 98,900 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Hispanic/Latinos in 2009. Prostate is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, while breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cancer in both men and women.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. More than 1.44 million Americans had a diagnosis of cancer in 2008 and some 565,000 died. According to the National Institutes of Health, cancer cost the United States an estimated $228 billion in medical costs in 2008.
An estimated 18,800 Hispanics are expected to die from cancer in 2009; the top two causes of cancer death among men are lung and colorectal cancer, while breast and lung cancer are the top two in women.
Between 1997 and 2006, cancer incidence rates decreased among Hispanics by 1.3% per year in men and 0.6% per year in women, compared to decreases of 0.8% per year and 0.4% per year in non-Hispanic white men and women, respectively.
During the same time period, cancer death rates among Hispanics decreased by 2.2% per year in men and 1.2% per year in women, compared to decreases in non-Hispanic whites of 1.5% per year in men and 0.9% per year in women.
The report also finds that compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic/Latino Americans have a later stage of diagnosis for many cancers, including breast and melanoma and have generally similar 5-year survival, except for melanoma, for which survival rates are lower in Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic white men (79% versus 87%) and women (88% versus 92%).
However, Hispanics have higher rates of several cancers related to infections (stomach, liver, and cervix) and are more likely to have cancer detected at a later stage.
The findings come from the latest edition of Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos. Hispanic Americans comprise the largest, fastest-growing, and youngest minority in the United States. An estimated 98,900 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Hispanic/Latinos in 2009. Prostate is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, while breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cancer in both men and women.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. More than 1.44 million Americans had a diagnosis of cancer in 2008 and some 565,000 died. According to the National Institutes of Health, cancer cost the United States an estimated $228 billion in medical costs in 2008.
An estimated 18,800 Hispanics are expected to die from cancer in 2009; the top two causes of cancer death among men are lung and colorectal cancer, while breast and lung cancer are the top two in women.
Between 1997 and 2006, cancer incidence rates decreased among Hispanics by 1.3% per year in men and 0.6% per year in women, compared to decreases of 0.8% per year and 0.4% per year in non-Hispanic white men and women, respectively.
During the same time period, cancer death rates among Hispanics decreased by 2.2% per year in men and 1.2% per year in women, compared to decreases in non-Hispanic whites of 1.5% per year in men and 0.9% per year in women.
The report also finds that compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic/Latino Americans have a later stage of diagnosis for many cancers, including breast and melanoma and have generally similar 5-year survival, except for melanoma, for which survival rates are lower in Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic white men (79% versus 87%) and women (88% versus 92%).
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
One Million More Women Will Survive Breast Cancer
More women are surviving breast cancer in situ according to a report in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association is welcome news for millions of American women. There were 610,171 in situ survivors in 2005 and researchers expect that by 2016 the number will exceed one million.
Breast cancer in situ now accounts for 20 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancers. It is the early stage of the disease, when it is still confined to the layer of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breasts. Cancer is one of the three primary critical illnesses that strikes Americans resulting in billions of dollars of lost productivity and medical expenses according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison explained that while there were 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States in 2005, the number of breast cancer in situ survivors was unknown.
Women with breast cancer in situ are four times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer compared with the general population, the researchers explained. The scientists study found that women with ductal breast cancer in situ, one of the more common forms, were more than five times more likely to be survivors compared with women diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in situ.
The researchers also reported that more white women survived than black women and women from other ethnic groups. "Current epidemiologic evidence regarding predictors of subsequent invasive breast cancer after breast cancer in situ is limited," the researchers noted in their report. "Guidelines are necessary to help the increasing number of breast cancer in situ survivors choose the best treatment and lifestyle strategies while still maintaining high quality of life."
SOURCES: Barbara A. Brenner, executive director, Breast Cancer Action, San Francisco; Aug. 26, 2009, Journal of the American Medical Association
Breast cancer in situ now accounts for 20 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancers. It is the early stage of the disease, when it is still confined to the layer of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breasts. Cancer is one of the three primary critical illnesses that strikes Americans resulting in billions of dollars of lost productivity and medical expenses according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison explained that while there were 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States in 2005, the number of breast cancer in situ survivors was unknown.
Women with breast cancer in situ are four times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer compared with the general population, the researchers explained. The scientists study found that women with ductal breast cancer in situ, one of the more common forms, were more than five times more likely to be survivors compared with women diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in situ.
The researchers also reported that more white women survived than black women and women from other ethnic groups. "Current epidemiologic evidence regarding predictors of subsequent invasive breast cancer after breast cancer in situ is limited," the researchers noted in their report. "Guidelines are necessary to help the increasing number of breast cancer in situ survivors choose the best treatment and lifestyle strategies while still maintaining high quality of life."
SOURCES: Barbara A. Brenner, executive director, Breast Cancer Action, San Francisco; Aug. 26, 2009, Journal of the American Medical Association
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