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Americans have enjoyed a higher survival rate of cancer, in general - link
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American women have a 63 percent chance of living at least five years after a cancer diagnosis, compared to 56 percent for European women. [See Figure I.]
American men have a five-year survival rate of 66 percent — compared to only 47 percent for European men.
Among European countries, only Sweden has an overall survival rate for men of more than 60 percent.
For women, only three European countries (Sweden, Belgium and Switzerland) have an overall survival rate of more than 60 percent.
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U.S. survival rates are higher than the average in Europe for 13 of 16 types of cancer reported in Lancet Oncology , confirming the results of previous studies.
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Of cancers that affect primarily men, the survival rate among Americans for bladder cancer is 15 percentage points higher than the European average; for prostate cancer, it is 28 percentage points higher. 2
Of cancers that affect women only, the survival rate among Americans for uterine cancer is about 5 percentage points higher than the European average; for breast cancer, it is 14 percentage points higher.
The United States has survival rates of 90 percent or higher for five cancers (skin melanoma, breast, prostate, thyroid and testicular), but there is only one cancer for which the European survival rate reaches 90 percent (testicular).
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Canada's system of national health insurance is often cited as a model for the United States. But an analysis of 2001 to 2003 data by June O'Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, and economist David O'Neill, found that overall cancer survival rates are higher in the United States than in Canada: 3
For women, the average survival rate for all cancers is 61 percent in the United States, compared to 58 percent in Canada.
For men, the average survival rate for all cancers is 57 percent in the United States, compared to 53 percent in Canada.
Do you think that a nationalized healthcare system could keep the trend going? If so, how?
Here is another link that I think is good to add here...
Quote:
Number of deaths for leading causes of death (in U.S)
Heart disease: 631,636
Cancer: 559,888
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 137,119
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,583
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 121,599
Diabetes: 72,449
Alzheimer's disease: 72,432
Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,326
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,344
Septicemia: 34,234
I was trying to find a study on those who have gone banckrupt due to illness - what illness they particularly had...but came up with nothing. I wonder what percentage of these medical banckruptcies were due to treatment for some form of cancer...I did find this link. There are many more articles that could possibly add to the discussion - I googled ' average cost of cancer treatment per patient'.
Quote:
USA Today ran a story in July on the high cost of cancer drugs that has dozens of comments from readers about how to fix the problem, including price controls. Can't argue with that one.
The article lists the cost per month of a number of cancer drugs, including Avastin and Herceptin. I'm not sure where USA Today got the numbers, but they appear to be too low. Herceptin, for example, costs about $3,000/month, according to the article, but my cancer center bills me $6,200-plus every three weeks.
The article says Avastin costs $4,400/month, while I am billed more than $9,000 every three weeks, but the article does note that this is the price when the drug is used to treat colon cancer. The dose for breast cancer treartment is larger, so the drug is more expensive.
The article questions whether or not these expensive drugs are worth it:
"These therapies may give patients a few more months, but they are not a cure. Given those limitations, Angell and others question whether the drugs are worth the price."
I do have to quibble with that one. Herceptin has helped keep me alive with metastatic disease for more than five years now, and I've added Avastin to that for the past year or so.
Those of us living with metastatic disease understand that we won't be cured, but as long as our quality of life is good, let's not talk about pulling the cord!
I do not know what you mean...could you provide an example and links?
I haven't got time to dig up the links at the moment (i'll look later). Basically Americans are screened more frequently than Europeans and cancers are picked up earlier in the US. However mortality rates from various stages of cancer are comparable between the US and Europe (I think the study I read was on the UK and Canada vs the US?). The difference is simply due to cancers being detected earlier and the survival rates appearing longer- the average age and frequency of death from various types of cancer is the same between the US and UK (I think the rate of cancer is actually slightly higher in the US). It's been a few years since I looked at this though.
This graph that is in the first article I linked talks about only 5 years after the diagnosis of cancer. It seems to indicate that cancer patients in America survive longer than those of the EU - not that they necessarily 'beat' the disease. I would still be interested in your study though.
OP, sure we can keep the surival rate high.
Some people are dying of cancer now and don't know it. They can't afford to see a doctor and get the tests done to show they have cancer.
Then you have people who can't afford chemo.
With UHC people can go see a doctor and get the testing they need and also get chemo if they are diagnosed with cancer.
This graph that is in the first article I linked talks about only 5 years after the diagnosis of cancer. It seems to indicate that cancer patients in America survive longer than those of the EU - not that they necessarily 'beat' the disease. I would still be interested in your study though.
This is what I mean - you are likely to be diagnosed earlier in the US, but the age of death and mortality rate is about the same. What i'm getting at is, say the average age of death for breast cancer was 65 in both the US and Europe, it just means the average American would be diagnosed around age 60 and the average European a year later. This would make your survival rates look better, but really cancers are just detected earlier. You're just as likely to die from the same illness at the same age in both countries. Frequent screening just means cancers are picked up at a very early stage in the US but you'll still die at the same age as a European with the same type of cancer.
Last edited by archineer; 03-11-2010 at 12:27 PM..
I haven't got time to dig up the links at the moment (i'll look later). Basically Americans are screened more frequently than Europeans and cancers are picked up earlier in the US. However mortality rates from various stages of cancer are comparable between the US and Europe (I think the study I read was on the UK and Canada vs the US?). The difference is simply due to cancers being detected earlier and the survival rates appearing longer- the average age and frequency of death from various types of cancer is the same between the US and UK (I think the rate of cancer is actually slightly higher in the US). It's been a few years since I looked at this though.
In other words, due to a superior health care system that detected these cancers earlier? Which allows treatment to begin earlier, when it is more likely to be effective.
Since 2000 there has been 135,000 documented deaths because of insurance companies refusals and excessive premium costs. It also makes me wonder how many Americans have died because their insurance companies denied them medical care. 55 million Americans without medical insurance won't get any cancer treatments.
America cannot afford to keep going without national healthcare.
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I understand your point...I think
Reporting methods differ.
