Race, Gender and Insurance Plans all Affect Cancer Survival

Washington (dbtechno) - Data from 1995 to 1998 on over 7000 cancer patients in the U.S. national cancer registry shows that Laryngeal Cancer survival rates are higher for women, whites and those who are not on government health plans.

Several factors affect survival rates including the location size and grade of the tumor as well as the patients overall health. The study shows that women have a better likelihood of survival than men. Gender is not the only factor that affects survival rates; race is also a big contributor with a much higher survival rate for white cancer patients than black patients.

Patients with stage III have a better likelihood of survival than stage IV which shows as the disease progresses the rates of survival decrease. This would suggest that treatment should be implemented quickly. Treatment options are generally affected by location and stage of tumor as well as the patient’s overall health.

After controlling for other factors, research shows that the type of treatment received affected the rates of survival as well. A total laryngectomy was shown to provide the best likelihood for survival. Risk of death was shown to increase by 30 percent in patients who were treated with chemo-radiotherapy and by 60 percent in the group who were treated with radiotherapy.

The study also showed that cancer patients on government health insurance were less likely to survive than those on private insurance. The report draws the conclusion that this is not from a lack of care but from a combination of other factors that involve health including preventative care, diet, tobacco use and other risk factors. The authors state, “We do not believe that insurance status in this analysis represents differential treatment or quality of care for patients with advanced laryngeal cancer. Rather, insurance status is likely a proxy for multiple medical issues.”