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Researchers
in the state of Washington report that age, income level and
insurance coverage all are significant factors in the determination
of what treatments are recommended for patients with colorectal
cancer.
The researchers
linked Washington State's cancer registry and hospital discharge
records to U.S. census data to assess the socioeconomic and
demographic factors that go into treatment decisions.
Reporting
in the journal Cancer, the researchers said patients over
the age of 75 were at higher risk of having a treatment plan
that did not include radiation or chemotherapy after surgery
than patients under age 65.
The likelihood
of no post-operative treatment was also more than double for
patients in zip codes with the lowest per capita income compared
to those in middle and upper-income zip codes.
The likehood
of no post-operative treatment was also much higher for patients
covered by Medicare compared to private insurance, the researchers
said.
"The
current findings suggest disparities in the provision of recommended
medical procedures related to socioeconomic and demographic
factors," the researchers concluded.
Source:
Colorectal
Cancer Week of July 7, 2002
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