A study of men with testicular cancer found that those who didn’t have any health insurance or who were on Medicaid were less likely to survive their disease than men with traditional insurance.
The study, published online August 8, 2016 in the journal Cancer, was conducted by researchers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Lead author was Sarah Markt, research associate at Harvard Chan School.
The study adds to previous evidence that linked inadequate insurance with poor health outcomes. This was the first analysis to examine associations between outcomes for testicular cancer, a highly curable disease, and three different types of insurance status—having insurance, being on Medicaid, or being uninsured.
Testicular cancer affects mainly younger men, who are more likely than older men to lack health insurance.
Looking at a group of more than 10,000 men diagnosed with testicular cancer from 2007–2011, the researchers found that those who were either uninsured or on Medicaid were diagnosed at a later stage, received less than optimal care, and had shorter survival times.
“Our results suggest that increasing access to adequate health care will improve outcomes for young men with testicular cancer, a disease that is curable even when metastatic,” said Markt. “As the insurance landscape continues to change in the U.S. under the ACA, it will be important to conduct further research on how insurance status may impact health outcomes—particularly for those most at risk for testicular cancer.”
Read a U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay article about the study: Health Insurance Status May Affect Cancer Patients’ Survival
Read the study abstract: Insurance status and disparities in disease presentation, treatment, and outcomes for men with germ cell tumors