Cost Of Skin Cancer Treatment Increasing Rapidly In The US.
The Washington Post (11/10, Izadi) “To Your Health” blog reports that a study by the CDC published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates that “skin cancer treatment costs skyrocketed in the past decade, rising five times faster than treatment costs for all other cancers.” Gery Guy, of the CDC’s Cancer Prevention and Control division and the study’s lead author, said, “It’s clear that not enough has been done in terms of skin cancer prevention behaviors.” Guy added, “We know sun safety and avoiding indoor tanning go a long way.”
On its website, CBS News (11/11, Firger) reports that “from 2002 to 2006, an estimated 3.4 million adults in the U.S. were treated for skin cancer.” The number increased “to 4.9 million people from 2007 to 2011.” During “that same time period the medical costs related to melanoma increased 126 percent – from $3.6 billion to $8.1 billion.”
The US News & World Report (11/11, Leonard) “Data Mine” blog reports, “For all other types of cancers during the same time period, the average yearly cost for treatment increased by 25 percent, or five times slower than the cost of skin cancer.”
The Oregonian (11/11, Terry) reports that in a statement, Guy said, “The findings raise the alarm that not only is skin cancer a growing problem in the United States, but the costs for treating it are skyrocketing relative to other cancers.” Medscape (11/11, Nelson) and HealthDay (11/11, Preidt) also cover the story. |
